It All Sinks Down
by OfLoveAndLies
Summary: A distant shadow of a girl lays in wait for the chance of retribution. It turns out that the one she seeks is the one who gives her the perfect opportunity. Rated for language and violence/gore. OCX?
1. Prologue

**Abyssus Ver  
~.~**

When I was alive...Oh, Lord, I don't even remember much about my pitifully short life span. I know that I was 19, at the time of my death, and that I was picnicking on a cliff by the shore with my family. My mother and father were good parents, who fairly listened to any words of disagreement I had to say, and who knew me well enough that they were aware of my irregular flares of temper and times of severe depression. They never let me isolate myself, during these times, which only strengthened my affections towards them.

My younger brother, on the other hand, was the rotten apple core of the family. He was extremely eccentric and used to things being manipulated the way he wished them to be. Whenever I intercepted these plans, he always had a way to exact silent vengeance on me. The web of scarred skin on my left side, the result of a supposed "stray" dog attacking me, was one of the few pieces of evidence I had to show towards how cruel he could be. We had been involved in this silent war of wits and tactic since he was able to crawl.

Moving away from such unpleasant topics, my last day of life was a mostly pleasant one. Having enrolled myself in a well-established college, I had paid my family a visit on Easter Sunday, the picnic being my dreadful brother's idea. I had wearily agreed to the idea since one of my favorite places was near the ocean. That's probably why he had proposed the cliff; location, location, location. The view from the edge of the cliff was just as beautiful as it was deadly. In addition, I lived during an era which did not go to great lengths to fence off every potential danger from the general public.

I became suspicious when my brother asked me to go for a walk, on the cliff, but my parents desperately wanted their children to form a normal sibling bond; not the vicious rivalry we had pitted against each other. Wanting to please my dear mother and father, I agreed, strolling easily up the path surrounded by dune grass. The fresh tidal wind gently blew against my face as I walked next to my brother, his first stages of puberty having made him taller and more string-bean like from when I last saw him. His deep brown eyes regarded me strategically; father always said he would make a fine army commander.

"Iris, I was here the other day and found something that immediately reminded me of you. Please, let's put our silly opposition aside, so I can show you." He seemed to be almost pleading with me. Seeing as I had never heard him use the word "please," while addressing me, I was a bit taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor. I cautiously nodded, taking his hand and returning the gesture when he seemed to send me a genuine smile. Was this how it felt to have a bond with a sibling? I had no idea, so I went with it, keeping the smile on my face when he lead me closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. I didn't entirely trust him, but...I had started to want to. I would give him one chance.

"What is it you want to show me, dear brother?" I asked, my accent similar to his from the fact that our parents had emigrated from Italy when they were still a young married couple.

"It's a flower, Iris. It has every color of the rainbow on its petals, so your name came to mind. Iris; rainbow. You could paint it and no one would believe it's a still life." He was walking slightly ahead of me, so my smiled spread, seeing as I couldn't see the cruel smirk that spread across his face.

We got to the very edge of the cliff and he knelt down to peer down and over the rock mass. I followed his example, minding that I was wearing a yellow sun dress, my eyes searching for the flower which he spoke of.

There was no flower.

He had used my withering trust in him to lure me away from the watchful eyes of our parents.

"Where is-!" I was looking into his eyes when he shoved me over the edge, my vivid green ones watering in realization of what he had done. I didn't let a scream part my lips-I would not give him the satisfaction of hearing it-I merely squeezed my eyes shut and felt the air whip my hair and dress around as I fell 50 feet towards the water. I knew I wasn't going to survive. Not even skilled divers dared to attempt jumping into the waters that would meet me. The jagged rocks pointed straight up, like the stalactites that formed in caves.

My head was thrashed against something hard and rough, splitting skin and cracking bone. Next, my body hit the still freezing water with a shattering amount of force. I had guessed parts of my spine had snapped, but I wasn't in the position to be worried about such things. I was hurtling deeper and deeper into the water, breathing in what took the place of air. With the first mouth full, I wanted it to be over. I couldn't kick my legs and my head pounded as blood flooded my brain along with the salt water. After another few minutes of struggling to gain control of my body, I finally lost consciousness and eventually felt my heart give out as my chest cavity filled with the freezing substance that aided in killing me slowly.

* * *

After a time of blackness, I could feel a new kind of consciousness spark in me. I was...lighter and didn't have many restrictions in moving. I was floating just above the floor of the ocean, no primal need to breathe hovering over me and no constant beat of my heart that I was so used to. I opened my eyes and saw that my once ringlet filled golden hair was fanning out above and around my head in matted knots. My skin was a flushed grayish white from my head to my toes. My hands gripped tightly to my now ragged dress which had become a duller yellow from the sea salt.

"I definitely died...but I'm still here. That means...I don't know!" I felt that I was projecting what I was saying, but my mouth never opened, leaving me startled. "Am I…a ghost? I could be, but why-" My brother's betrayal struck me like a match striking a flame, anger suddenly roaring loudly in my ears. "I will kill him! I'll fucking kill him!" I shrieked, the current around me becoming faster and faster until it was funneling all around me. I gave a single violent shudder, calmly closing my eyes, and the underwater tornado ceased. I looked around curiously; had I just done that? Yes, I had, and my curiosity increased. What else was I able to do? Only time-and practice-would tell...

* * *

**Hey, guys! I've been scrambling to make several deadlines for school work and such and decided to post a second story! I will be posting a new chapter of this every. single. week. This is my vow. I've been a fan of this movie, for some time now, and wanted to throw a little more chaos into the glass house we all know and love. Things that don't make sense at first will be explained. Enjoy!**


	2. Capture

I peered down at the small thing struggling at my feet with my head tilted to one side and a calm sort of adoration lacing the expression on my face. The small thing's legs kicked furiously to try to free itself, but I knew better; once one of them touched my favorite toy, they came under and could not go back until they didn't play with me, anymore. I knelt down at the small thing's eye level, my own eyes narrowing on instinct, when I saw that they were brown. Brown eyes reminded me of _him. _I released the child, suddenly not really wanting to play. I watched with some disappointment as the child broke the surface of the water.

As I peered upwards, I realized I could see myself from the reflection of the surface. The large gash on the left side of my face, which was the only obvious after effect of my fall, wasn't too terrible. There were the several teeth marks going along my arms, legs, and back that I loathed, however. I could only guess that some predator had gotten to me, before I was completely deceased, and so I ended up with my unexpected marks. My eyes were also fully dilated, as they had been in my last moments, with only a sliver of vivid green showing from outside the black orbs of my pupils.

I sighed to myself, boredom quickly overcoming me in such a quiet place, nearly driving me insane. I suspected that this was why I wanted so badly to have a companion to play with. Someone who wouldn't stop moving, after mere minutes, if possible. It was a shame that I couldn't go to meet potential playmates.

I was terrified of the thought of being on dry land again. The seemingly constant breeze reminded me too much of the plunge that lead to my death. My mood gradually became more and more morbid upon pondering such matters, but I suddenly stopped sulking when I spotted something-or rather, someone-above the surface of the water.

The figure was blurred considerably by the waves, but I drifted closer, taking in the midnight black hair and porcelain pale skin of the young man kneeling by the water and contently drawing in the sand. I continued towards him, eyes wide as I stared at the angel, pain throbbing from somewhere inside me. I wanted him in a different way than I wanted the small ones. I wanted him to scream and thrash in agony; I wanted to cause his agony. The beautiful creature held no right to be happy while I suffered in my own silent hell. I let my favorite toy float to the surface. The faintly glowing ball bobbed and rolled in the water until it slid onto the sand, bumping the angel's shoeless foot, the sensation catching his attention. A wicked feeling spread through me as he glanced down at my toy. Now submerged just under the surface of the water, I also seemed to catch his attention.

Alas, he did not see my true identity, only what I wanted him to see. He saw what I had been, before death, a faint glow radiating from me and my then golden curls wafting in the current. I extended my hands pleadingly to him with a soft smile on my face as I eyed my toy sadly. His eyes widened and he slowly reached for the ball, but I wasn't ready to play, just yet. My ball zoomed away from him then did a dive, into the water, settling in my hands as I tilted my head in gratitude. I wanted him to come back to see me. So then, securing my toy in my grasp, I drifted away from his sight. He would be coming back, alright, and he would be coming soon.

* * *

I waited patiently, not budging an inch, until the moon was just about in the center of the sky. Then my angel came to me. I was there, of course, my ball bobbing just along the beach's edge. He was cloaked all in black and his baby blue eyes reached out towards me. I helplessly motioned towards my ball, all but giddy with my acting ability, a broad grin lighting up my face when he finally grasped the glowing orb.

Almost immediately, his hands were bound together and I imagined an immense weight pulling him into the water towards me. He was eye to eye with me in a matter of seconds, his chest rising and falling quickly, as he breathed the air I allowed him. As far as I could tell, my angel was completely stunned; his face blank with emotions he would not yet show. I smiled sweetly and wrapped my arms daintily around his shoulders, pulling him close to me, a victorious giggle escaping me as his own arms encircled my waist. Nuzzling his neck, I savored the thrumming of life encased under his skin, before violently biting down and hearing his muffled scream. Was this action I was taking "fun"? Absolutely.

Unfortunately enough for me, another sound cut through my dark angel's screams, gaining my full attention. It was in a language I had never before heard but somehow understood. A voice was commanding me to surrender myself to something...what was it...entrapment? I shook my head furiously, wanting to ward off the reoccurring words, only to fail. I reluctantly released my grip on my new playmate and darted further out to sea, trying to get away, only to hit against something with my mind reeling.

I realized what had happened; in my haste, I had rushed into some sort of containment cell, its door sliding shut before I had time to crash past it. Eyes widening, I slammed myself against one of the clear glass walls, growling when it wouldn't budge after several attempts. I stilled and made myself unseen as the cell lifted from the water. I didn't know how to handle the situation; I slipped silently into faded memories as an outside force bumped and shifted the cell which held me to the destination it so desired.

* * *

**Second chapter, yay! All those years of solitude have left Iris a little…off. Thanks to ****ShiloCoulter for giving this story its first review. The real fun begins in the next chapter. **

**Oh, yes, and…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of the film 13 Ghosts. Dark Castle Entertainment (as far as I know) does. I only own my character Iris. **


	3. Introductions and Story Time

I was ripped out of my reverie by a screeching sound. I manipulated the water I personally held in my cell so that it became clear. After much isolation, I had learned to do many things with the element I was always surrounded by, finding many ways to harm and torment the living. The first thing my sharp green eyes spotted was a man.

He stood with a tall and confident manner and was clad in a well-made suite. He was tightly gripping the cane in his hand and I smiled at the endearing sign of nervousness. His brown hair held some gray in it and his deep brown eyes regarded me in a very familiar strategical manner. I stopped-absolutely stopped-before slamming against the door to my cell with as much force as I could muster.

"Cyrus!" I bellowed without so much as opening my mouth, an angry snarl emitting from said opening. My brother smiled at me with the same cruel expression he had while unleashing the rabid dog upon me.

"Ah, Iris, dear sister. You really didn't take that fall too well, did you?" He mused while examining his shoes offhandedly. I banged one fist against the door, creating sparks as it hit against the words scrolled across it.

"Why have you brought me here, Cyrus?" I seethed, noticing that my entire being was curled into a ball and pressed against the wall closest to my murderous brother. "Was it not enough that you had finally ridded yourself of me? Care to rub it in my face?" I questioned furiously, frowning as he shook his head as if I were spouting gibberish. As he was turning to leave, a sudden upward twitch of my lips caught his attention.

With my close attention to detail, I had noticed a fractional leak in one corner of my cell. Again, I became unseen for just long enough to slip myself through the crack and smash my dear brother against one of the walls, while always being surrounded by an encasing of water.

"Where's my flower, brother?" I whispered through gritted teeth, grasping his neck tightly and shoving him against the adjacent wall. Continuing my insane and un-winnable game of Pong, I giggled slightly at Cyrus' expression; he looked as if he were about to wet himself. I slammed him against the floor and stomped on his stomach, once, before sitting on his suite-clad torso.

"You know, Cyrus, our parents always though I was the stronger one. You're just a sniveling coward who manipulates people to get what you want. Just you wait; I'm going to-Uugh!" I clamped my hands to my ears out of instinct as that same damned voice droned over and over again in my head. This time, however, a deep wave of pain shot through me. I rolled off of my unfortunate sibling and struggled to remain airborne. I easily located the source; a brown haired woman with a very serious expression on her face stood holding a tape recorder. Now that I was around others, I found my temper to be quiet horrible.

"Bitch." I rasped, my still suspended hair looking strange when I didn't have the energy to levitate. She said nothing and I begrudgingly convinced myself to return to my cell. I paced angrily as the bitch went to check on the nearly unconscious Cyrus. As soon as he recovered, his first words were totally predictable and very much like the egotistical sibling I knew well.

"What are you doing, just standing there? Make that cell waterproof. Now!" I watched from the very back of my cell, arms crossed unhappily because of my unfinished family reunion.

"That will teach you, to kill me, you dropped baby." I muttered, my attention finally focused on my surroundings.

From where I stood, I could see four other nearly identical cells in the hall, including one directly next to mine. I looked at the finally visible figure from the corner of my eye. At first, all I could see was smoky gray, but then began to put the image together in my head.

The figure was male and I immediately noticed the white straightjacket that he was clad in, even in death. His face held scars and deep cut wounds and I had trouble looking at his eyes. Something cold passed through me; for the first time since I had died, I was frightened. The irregular way he moved-even for a ghost-and the rusted cage surrounding his head only made things worse. I drifted as far away as I could from that side of the cell, slightly clouding the water so I couldn't so clearly see his eyes. A deranged laugh sounded from where I suspected he drifted and I shivered into the corner I was crouching in. I ignored the tapping coming from my cell's door. I sunk deep into my thoughts. I felt worn down; something that happened when I moved around too much. Now that I was there, I would get my revenge, at all costs.

The knocking continued and I huffed in irritation. What could he possibly want from me, now? I drifted towards the door, without actually moving my limbs, the heavy exhaustion still wearing me thin. I then realized I couldn't see him and thus made the water into fresh instead of salt.

"What?" I asked moodily, stretching the word out, to show my contempt of him once again bothering me.

"As I was saying, before you interrupted me with yet another one of your stupid assumptions: You're here for a purpose, Iris." I silently groaned to myself; he was such a hot air bag! I rolled my eyes, gesturing around my cell in mock surprise.

"Damn, and I thought I had won a night at a swanky hotel, you tease." I huffed and snorted when his expression darkened.

"Stop acting like a child!" He shouted, his face reddening. _Ooh, I guess mocking him in front of the other ghosts is a no-no? Too damn bad!_

"I only am what you assured I would be, for all of eternity, dear brother." I whispered, begrudging his outburst but keeping my voice even. Cyrus stormed off and I settled on the floor of my cell, curling into a ball and laying on my side. "Stupid man." Muttering to myself, I idly did my best to get a grip on the smooth floor, only to eventually give up. Peering down at my hand, I noticed the barely visible scratches I had made in the glass. If I were alive, my hand would have been bleeding furiously from underneath the nails. I laid still, unperturbed by the insane laughter of my new neighbor, until the sensation of being watched settled over me.

Once again sitting myself up, I stared across the hall to match gazes with a female figure, in a cell covered with blood. She was nude and her body was covered in deep gash marks. Her wet strawberry blonde hair hung limply around her face and she loosely grasped a large knife in her hand. She looked at me in confusion, apparently just as perplexed that I was there as I was. Sadly, I had harassed Cyrus before he had the chance to explain to me, so I didn't have an answer for her.

"Hello." I said instead, watching as her confusion deepened.

"Who are you?" She asked with a defensive tone in her voice, her utter self-loathing apparent in the way she spoke. I refrained from rolling my eyes; had she really missed out on the previous conversations between Cyrus and I?

"My name's Iris. I am...was...Cyrus' sister." I introduced myself, embarrassed that I held any association with the man who had captured and put us there, even if it wasn't my fault. She stared blankly at me and I glanced down uncomfortably at my thick leather boots that reached mid-calf on me. As a nineteen year old girl, my fashion sense had been very strange, much to the confusion of my parents.

"I'm Dana. Why are you here?" She finally broke the partial silence by asking, her unspoken question finding a voice. I nodded to confirm that I had heard her name, the gesture feeling strange, after all the emotion I had previously poured into speaking.

"I don't know; I don't even know where here is, or the year, for that matter. I've been submerged-in the ocean-since I died. But I am starting to understand what Cyrus is plotting to do, if what I had once showed him is now in his possession…Dana, how many ghosts are here?" I asked, the realization hitting me hard. I moved closer to the cell's door as movement from the cell next to Dana's caught my attention.

A male figure reclined against an old rust bucket of a car, lazily leaning the baseball bat he held against his shoulder. He wore a Letterman jacket and the entire left side of his body looked like it had lost a fight with a wood chipper.

"Right now there's nine of us, including you, Doll." He said, answering the question I had directed at Dana. I frowned at both his bad manners and what he addressed me by.

"And _you _are?" I shot out, my tempter once again flaring up, despite my best efforts to make a good impression. He cast me a cocky smirk that I, in turn, scowled at.

"Royce Clayton; call me Royce." I huffed and began to silently rant to myself.

_I'm awake for five minutes and already have an idiot jock and a crazed ex mental patient to contend with._ I thought and would have given a start, if I had been alive, from the next bout of crazed laughter coming from the cell next to mine.

"New girl thinks Prince is an idiot!" He said with an almost sing-song tone of voice, disturbing me to no end, for that and another reason. I hadn't openly projected those words; how had he heard them? I looked over to Royce, who was glaring at the caged man, apparently unaware that he had intercepted my thoughts.

"You got something you wanna' say to me, Jackal?" Royce asked heatedly, making all three of us laugh with some variation.

"Point proven." Dana said with amusement still lacing her features, seeming to have been the only one to have caught the Jackal's choice of words as she looked towards me with additional curiosity in her eyes. Again, I had no answers for either her, or myself.

~.~

After a while of casually talking with them, I learned some things about Dana and Royce, including just how they died and what they thought of their lives, before this one. I then shared what little knowledge of what I thought Cyrus was planning, which only slightly concerned them, which confused me. However, I weaseled out of sharing much of my life and death with them; the recent wounds still hurt like a bitch. When I began to think of the past day, however, I began to miss my favorite toy. The more I thought of it, the sadder I got, until a light bouncing sounded from down the hall. I rushed towards the glass door to beam as I spotted the ball making its way towards me. As it moved directly in front of me, it paused, before disappearing and reappearing in my hands. I guessed Cyrus had missed a vital loophole in the design of my cell; it prevented me from escaping, but it did nothing against any haunted objects.

When my dear brother came rushing down the hall in pursuit of my beloved toy, as a matter of fact, his eyes grew wide as he spotted the glowing object in my hands as I sat crossed legged just off of the floor of my cell.

"Back so soon? My, your temper seems to have improved since I last saw you, Cyrus dear." I mentioned sarcastically, hugging my toy to myself as I floated on my back and tilted my head back to look at his upside down shape.

"How did you-"

"I was born with telekinesis, remember? My abilities only grew stronger, in death. Now, tell me a story." I requested eagerly while holding back any biting comments. He furrowed his brow, and I thought I would have to pry the information out of him, but he finally relented with a somber expression on his face.

"Are you finished patronizing me?" I nodded in false eagerness, bouncing in my spot as Cyrus rolled his eyes, obviously buying into my act. He straightened and began his long but vital explanation.

"You, dear sister, are going to be of aid when I stage my death. An old scripture I've found shows that the spiritual essence of a dead family member will preserve the life of the living family, if applied correctly." My eyes had become wider and I wanted horribly to be back in my ocean. Now he wanted my soul's essence? I was not about to let him kill me, a second time. I frowned with concern, my hands calmly gripping my toy as I stared up at him.

"That can't be the only reason you've bothered me by extracting me from where I had just become comfortable remaining in existence, Cyrus. You've found the book I told you about, I assume?" I stated confidently, my boot tapping on the ground while making no noise. My brother looked as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He nodded while I grimaced from the unpleasantness of it all. He had turned a book suggestion into an obsession.

"You are merely an extra power source, for as long as you are here, Iris; an accessory. The Zodiac would place you as The Scorned Dreamer; AbyssusVer. In this case, however, you're The Anima." I dulled the water significantly, as I couldn't bear to see his face, anymore.

"You kill me what I assume to be five decades ago, and you now expect me to comply in destroying myself?" I whispered, in a voice rough with contained anger, my head spinning with what it could not comprehend.

"Whether you comply or not is not an issue; it will be done." I smirked to myself as he retreated down the hall.

"We shall see about that, brother." I muttered serenely, remaining perfectly still in order to recover my energy. I wasn't about to go down without a fight.

**Update time! Uh-oh, things are starting to get ugly. What will happen next? What's Iris going to do about it? How the hell can the Jackal suddenly read minds? Why am I asking so many questions? Find out next week (Goodness, I sound like a cheesy cartoon announcer)!**

**-Jess**


	4. Explanations and A New Neighbor

It all happened suddenly and very quickly. I heard a suctioning sound from below me and felt my precious water draining away from my grasp. I gasped out in pain; the ocean was my home, and now he was taking that away from me, too. The water was fairly clairvoyant, so I vaguely saw that the others were looking over in curiosity as the special spell protected drain to my cell continued to steal my only comfort. I struggled against it by pulling as much of the salt water towards me as I could manage, only to feel it slip through my fingers, drop by drop. It was rapidly leaving me, the very last of it disappearing, before I could register what was happening.

I stood dripping while staring at the drain in shock, my hair hanging limply around my face as water droplets hit the ground. I sunk slowly to my knees, holding my toy against my chest with a force that would have broken my ribs, the freezing air foreign to me. I was pretty sure that I had forgotten how to walk and hoped that I could still float on solid ground. My Purgatory had just become Hell. I let myself recline in a seated position, dropping and letting my ball roll away from me, too in shock to keep tabs on which direction it went in. I couldn't understand; I felt vulnerable, which was ridiculous, since I no longer possessed a body and couldn't be physically harmed. So then, why had these feelings resurfaced? I suspected it to be a sort of premonition.

Complete stillness overcame me, and held me, even during Dana's tentative questions and the Jackal's mocking words. Call me self-centered, but I was kind of having a dilemma, at that time. Then, just as I thought that I was about to completely lose my composure; a whirring sound broke my brooding. There was also the sound of my ball bouncing frenziedly around and above from where I sat, but I was mostly unconcerned with the latter of the two. I went to stand, so that I could move towards the door, but my phantom limbs felt as if they were made of cement.

The sparks came before the pain did.

My hand twitched in response to the stabbing sensation that came at me from all angles. The stabbing was followed by the feeling of my insides being sucked out of me via hundreds of bendy straws piercing every inch of my being. I bit my lip and gripped the hem of my skirt to prevent the wail that was threatening to come from me, vividly remembering that I had not given Cyrus the satisfaction of hearing my screams, during my life. My toy did increase its speed, however, while encircling me in a blur of yellow as my spirit was absorbed slowly. My vision soon became blurry and I lost all of my remaining sensations, but I desperately held onto my form of consciousness, finally losing my vision while only slightly being aware of my surroundings.

But, then, something strange happened.

I felt myself become stronger as the electrical sparks averted their attention to the perimeter my toy was creating around me. They snapped and crackled, trying to absorb the other energy, which I weakly grinned at. I hadn't started with a plan, but now one was given to me, as a surprise. I figured the malicious sparks had absorbed half of both mine and my toy's energy, when they suddenly dissipated into the air, not returning.

I finally let a small sob out as the pain stubbornly lingered in me, but it couldn't be heard through the thunderous racket the Jackal was making. He was throwing himself against the walls at random and screaming nonsensical phrases at a volume I couldn't hear myself think at. I watched as Cyrus came running down the hall with the brown haired bitch in tow, eying the Jackal helplessly and then came to stare at me in utter shock. I'm sure he asked something along the lines of "Why are you still here?" but I couldn't hear him through the screaming. Easily annoyed by loud noises, I did my best to stomp over towards the wall of my cell that faced the Jackal's, pausing for a moment before testing my theory out.

"STOP IT!" I screamed in my head, drawing out the words, until silence answered me. I stared into his icy blue eyes, suddenly standing at my full height, facing him with my face inches away from the glass. I stared him down, for another long moment, before turning towards the two mortals.

"That," I said calmly, "is why I'm still here." The brown haired woman's eyes widened as she blatantly gawked at me. I crossed my arms and raised my brow at her, waiting expectantly for her reaction.

"Abyssus Ver..." She trailed off, giving me the perfect opportunity to interject.

"Hell's Spring; The Scorned Dreamer of the Red Zodiac." I finished, wanting to explain what was needed and get it over with. She took half a step forwards with curiosity painted on her odd glasses clad face.

"How do you...-" I sighed, again cutting her ignorant questions off, not at all wanting to deal with her.

"I gave my _little _brother the book of the Arcanum. I had, well...stolen it; from the history professor of the college I had been attending.

I won't say that I didn't feel bad-he had collected a life's savings and gone abroad for months just to acquire it. There was also the possibility of Cyrus being caught with the book and blamed, which was a bonus…

I had also taken the book of the Red Zodiac, but I held onto it, for reasons I didn't really understand. Now I realize that it was so he couldn't use the corresponding containment spells but, as always, I see he's found a way around that." I said, muttering the last part of the sentence irritably. The bitch continued to stare at me, and I pegged my ball at the level of the glass where her face was, causing her to stumble back a few steps.

"It's very rude to stare." I chided and then laughed as my toy ricocheted off the wall and through me. Cyrus seemed irritated that he had fallen away from the center of attention.

"You're one to talk about proper behavior, Iris, with all the children you've drowned." I frowned, confused at his convicting tone of voice. I remained calm, not at all irritated by his statement.

"Oh? I only did it to prevent them from becoming disappointed in this dirt pit of a world, where brothers push their sisters off of cliffs, and people are constantly pressured by peers and themselves to achieve as close to perfection as they can." I reasoned, smiling smugly when he seemed to be at a loss for words. He began to walk away, and I frowned, hovering as close to the glass as I could as the brown haired woman trailed after him.

"Oh, sure, run away when I have the upper hand in the conversation. You always have and you always will!" I yelled after them, throwing my hands up in exasperation when Cyrus failed to look back, his pace increasing at my words. Huffing, I flopped down on the floor, feeling a pouting streak about to come on. I angrily muttered a few profanities, allowing it to drain out of my system, before looking back up in Dana and Royce's direction. Neither looked at all pleased.

"You're the reason why we're stuck in this hole?" Royce seethed in questioning, tapping his bat against the hood of the car he still reclined on, the force creating additional dents to the metal. Remorse gripped at my insides and I cringed because of it.

"Most likely," I replied miserably, "but it isn't as if I'm not suffering by being trapped here, either." I added, reflexively flicking my gaze towards the Jackal's cell and holding back a groan when he caught my gaze with his own increasingly intense one.

"Then, do you know a way to get us out of here?" Dana questioned, head tilted slightly to the side, as I had noticed she did when asking something. I shrugged with hesitation lacing the features of my expression.

"I think I might, but I have to think it through, more thoroughly. Seeing as we're getting nowhere, fast, I figure I have plenty of time. In the meantime, who's up for a word game?" I asked, becoming confused and then grinning impishly when the others groaned. I had a feeling that the confinement period I would be sharing with my fellow prisoners wouldn't be as boring as I'd imagined.

* * *

What I expected to be a few days later, a racket disturbed me from the bout of listless thinking I had been in the middle of. The source of the racket turned out to be another cell being added in across the hall from the back of my cell. I stared at the young boy with an arrow sticking out of his forehead. He held a tomahawk in his hand and was clad in cowboy apparel. He looked just as disoriented and confused as I had. I tentatively waved at him, still having a soft spot for kids, a small smile brightening my face when he waved back.

"Hello. My name's Iris. What's yours?" I asked gently, not quite sure why I was taking a ghost's feelings into consideration, but deciding to go along with my judgment.

"My name's Billy." He said in a charming way only a child could, his frown turning upwards somewhat at having at least made an acquaintance in such a foreign place. "Why are we here, anyway?" He asked, his smile almost immediately returning to a frown from the look of hesitation I cast over my shoulder and back at him.

_Ghost or not, _I fretted to myself,_ he's still a kid. _I paused, trying to form an easy way to explain the situation to him.

"Well, Billy..." I began, flinching and then glaring daggers to my left as yet another bout of laughter shook me from my train of thought.

"We're here to die, again! To die, _again!" _The Jackal sung between his laughter, floating on his back as another moment of hysteria struck him. I merely rolled my eyes and looked back at Billy, who looked stricken before disappearing from view, soft crying sounding from his cell. Empathy gripped at me, before severe irritation burned it out, flicking a switch in me.

Turning my sights to the current offender, I stormed towards the wall of the cell, pausing before rapidly hitting against it with a fist.

"Shut your trap, ugly!" I shouted well over his laughter while almost instantly getting his attention with my added insult. He let out an animalistic snarl before appearing directly across from where I stood.

"What did you just say, stupid bitch?" The blue eyed maniac growled, but I stood my ground, using my sarcasm to cover up the fact that I was about to flip out and most likely cower in a corner from how close I was to him.

"You heard me, leather face; I said to shut your trap! I've had it up to here with the ceaseless racket you make. That box on your head probably once doubled as a muffler!" I backfired at him, sure that my face would have been red, if I had blood to create such an effect. I was pretty sure that I saw Dana attempting to flag me down to stop, but I decided not to acknowledge her, maintaining the heated glare I was returning to the Jackal. A cruel smile suddenly played on his lips and I was tempted to move back a few paces.

"You'd better hope I never get out of this cell, girly." He said in a voice so calm I began to feel threatened. I shook it off, however, returning with my own sardonic smile.

"As if you'd be able to catch me." I replied in a voice laced with false sweetness, very confident with my defensive tactics and escape maneuvers, maybe even to a fault. I didn't even mind his threats much. I only wanted to establish that I couldn't be intimidated into keeping my mouth shut and I was pretty sure that my demonstration was clear enough on the matter. By my newly found rival's expression, however, I had a feeling that he thought differently. I shrugged to myself and turned my attention to my toy, which was hovering next to me and insistently bumping against my leg, much like a restless cat. Taking a hold of the glowing orb, I giggled as it glowed brighter, my next move being to punt it into the ceiling and waiting for the panicked screams that resounded from upstairs. They eventually did from far off in the house, meaning my toy had most likely gone through a maze of walls to find its target, said target being the brown haired bitch.

"Man," Royce groaned, "I wish I had a cool trick like that. This place woulda' been smashed up, by now." I shook my head slightly at his words, a polite smile spreading across my lips, anyway.

"Stone can only make contact with living beings; it goes right through anything else, encasing spell, or not." I explained, quirking a brow at his dumbfounded expression.

"You named the damn thing?" He asked in disbelief, to which I rolled my eyes, holding my hands out as Stone floated down from the ceiling and into them.

"I was secluded within so many square feet, underwater, for fifty years. I had to find some methods of amusing myself." I retorted listlessly, floating higher off of the ground as my mind wandered back to those times of loneliness, suddenly not in the mood to banter with the ex-jock. I gave a dismissive shrug before gravitating towards the nearest wall to lean against it. I began to fight the thoughts that seeped through my subconscious mind and shrunk back when _This is all _your_ fault!_ blared at me from the back of my mind. I flickered in and out of visibility for a few moments. What was wrong with me? I refused to place all of the blame on myself.

I began to tap my fingers against the wall to a certain rhythm I was familiar with. However, it wasn't long until Dana asked me another question, so unsure of herself even after death. I didn't begrudge her constant curiosity, though, even if she was a little older than me.

"When did you say you died, Iris? That tune sounds like a song that was popular, when I was alive." She mentioned wonderingly from her seated position against one of the cell's corners, turning her head slightly to look at me. I smiled slightly while comfortably bringing my knees up to my chest to watch the tattered ends of my dress dangle beneath me.

"Sometimes, radio waves would get caught up in the ocean's frequency, so I spent a lot of time learning to channel the ones I liked. I've recently lost interest in it, though, since most modern songs are pretty much a repetition of the same subjects." I answered with a slight frown of disappointment darkening my face.

"But that's okay," I amended, "because Stone here remembers all of the songs I like. Don't cha, Stone? Of course, Cyrus would get mad, but...it doesn't really matter what Cyrus thinks." I stated, giggling when Stone glowed brighter, in response to my optimism. I then returned to my normal distant demeanor, drifting back slightly when I noticed that I was being stared at, once again. Raising a brow, I cast Royce a questioning look, not moving an inch while I waited for someone to say something. Finally, the dead baseball played broke the awkward moment with asking.

"What do you mean by saying that thing "remembers" songs?" He asked, another round of confusion complicating things, thus drawing more attention to me. I released my grip on Stone and let it bounce about the cell, for a while, becoming annoyed by the object's constant squirming.

"_Stone," _I said to emphasize that my companion had a name, "can copy and repeat music, just like a…what are those machines called...cassette player." I elaborated while allowing Stone to roll off my fingers and bounce once before rolling to the center of the cell.

_Give a demonstration, _I urged it silently, the smile on my face instantly vanishing into a snarl as the tinkling of a music box emitted from the sphere.

"Not _that _one!" I shouted, panicked, before landing back on the ground weightlessly and kicking Stone so far upwards that I suspected it went through the roof of the house.

Realizing what I had just done-the display of the very real emotions I still strongly possessed-I kept my sight trailed to the floor by where my feet levitated above, wishing I could examine the variables that were causing my recent change in character. Other than the great justice I had done for the little ones at the beach, I was never violent, per say. I was just sad, I think...other than wanting to exact my revenge on Cyrus. And, seeing as he was getting on in years, I was going to have to act soon.

Another six months, perhaps, and he would have all the souls he needed for this infernal machine of his. Another six months, and I would finally free myself from this vendetta I held so close to my soul, that the hate inside of me would eventually corrode it. I knew, because Cyrus was far too prudent to simply set his plans into motion and not stick around to watch them play out. It was set, then; I would wait, because really, what else was I supposed to do?

* * *

**Here we are again! Sorry to Jackal fans and Angry Princess haters (for various reasons). Not that neither of them won't get word-time (instead of screen-time?). Also, to anyone familiar with Latin: Did I completely butcher that translation of "Hell's Spring?" Please let me know. Thank you!**

**-Jess**


	5. Bullies

**Just a quick note in the beginning, so as not to distract you from the reading: I don't think I explained it well in the previous chapter, but Iris is "Hell's Spring" of the Red Zodiac (which I made up for the sake of the story) This makes her the Jackal's counterpart, in some sense, which explains the telepathy and whatnot. Sorry for the confusion! Enjoy**

* * *

Well, Cyrus seemed to have plenty of things to keep my occupied, as I would come to learn after the next few weeks passed. I hadn't spoken a word to anyone, mentally or otherwise, despite the various methods every one of them was trying on me. I would simply smile sadly at Billy and scowl at the Jackal, not exactly feeling inclined to speak to any of them due to the fact that I was related to the enemy and had indirectly assisted in our capture. I guess the term "moping" would be more accurate.

I was curled up in an upper corner of one of the cells, my form creating an almost perfect ball, as I forced myself to remain perfectly still. Dana and Royce were both in a state of reverie, at the moment, leaving me no one to talk with or at least banter, as I was becoming accustomed to doing with the Torn Prince. When a rather solid human knocking sounded from the left side of my prison, however, I rose my head and opened my eyes just enough to stare blankly at my former brother. His stance was calm but I could nearly sense the frantic thoughts buzzing around in his head.

"What do you need from me now, brother?" I asked, my voice void of much emotion, other than mild irritation. He had been quite busy, capturing one ghost after another, while I had decided to become dormant. I suspected that he only had a few left to go, seeing as he was coming to me, of all beings, for information.

"The last page of the book is missing, Iris, so you must know where you've hidden it." He replied calmly, the perspiration sliding down his neck an obvious indication that he felt nervous being near me. I tried to suppress it, but one corner of my lip turned up in amusement

"Why would you think that?" I questioned, unfurling from my ball and levitating in the air with my legs crossed, as if I were seated on an arm chair. Cyrus' eyes narrowed, his patience shortening, once again.

"You gave me the bloody book, that's why!" He shouted rather immaturely for someone who was trying so hard to act sophisticated. I allowed my smile to enlarge to a sneering grin before replying.

"You can't find it, because it was in my shoe, at the time of my death. The real McCoy was destroyed by the salt water." I stated simply, my smile widening even more and then letting out a bout of demented laughter at the sight of his incredulous expression. "I knew what kind of scum you were, even then, dear brother. I was prepared to limit you, even after death, if I was required to. But you know what the truly hilarious part is?" I asked. "It's that I have a copy only obtainable by me, in my boot, even in this form." I taunted and decided to further tantalize him by reaching into one of my boots and extracting the folded up paper from it. I held it out at arm's length and fanned the paper in my brother's general direction.

"My death did seem to come at a price, after all." I whispered sweetly as his face turned red and his hands balled up into fists before he stormed off. Snickering, rather proud of myself, I neatly folded the paper back up and returned it to my shoe. My good mood only improved as the clicking of a speaker sounded from somewhere above me.

"I am going to ask you this one time only, Iris: What does the paper say?" Cyrus' voice inquired from the other end of the speaker, causing me to roll my eyes from his now apparent aversion of me.

"And I am only going to say this, once, Cyrus: Over my dead body!" I replied with a sweet note in my voice. I then slid down the wall, confusion furrowing my brow when my brother growled out a short, "Very well," before cutting the connection off between us. Sharing a lingering glance with the now conscious Dana and Royce, the somberness I felt making me frown, I then noticed the clicking noise. The Jackal also seemed to notice the noise, and he smiled with exposed rotted teeth, knowing what was about to happen; that one of the cells was being opened.

When another loud click sounded, followed by the continuous cranking of gears, I was startled into pressing myself against the glass of the wall behind me. The walls separating the Jackal from me were sliding into the walls perpendicular to them at a painfully slow rate. While I watched, in complete disbelief, I made sure to move away from the corner I had been settled in. There was no way that I was going to be trapped like a bird in a cage with the Jackal being the hungry cat.

The rest went seemingly in slow motion. The more the glass slid open, the more frigid air poured into my cell, making the lingering water on the glass turn to a white frost. Having already formulated a defense maneuver, which I was sure I would need, I turned my attention to the giggling lunatic. Raising a brow, I waited for his crazed stare to settle on me, which it shortly did.

"Your luck seems to have run out, Wench." He said as the walls slid completely into place, obviously in too good of a mood to call me anything more severe. A smile that was half mirth and half temptation to make him eat those words rested upon my face.

"You seem to have forgotten what I said about you having to catch me, first." I reflected aptly, glad that my form didn't allow for shaking voices, as I felt a heavy pressure settle over my chest. Many preexisting ghosts would have asked me if my worries and fear was sincere, and I would have told them yes. It was because we were of two nearly opposing sides off Hell's Seasons that I felt a horrid yet tangible connection with the beast standing before me.

Before I realized much else, I saw those blue eyes coming directly at me at a speed not many ghosts could move at; but I wasn't many ghosts. I faked a step back as he reached a mere foot's length from me and then darted around and past him.

"Told you." I huffed out quietly, finding myself standing in the middle of the two rooms, still facing the still grinning Jackal. He said nothing, head cocked to one side, before coming at me again. I was startled by the fact that he had suddenly disappeared half way across the room. I was soon forced to recompose myself and dodge to the right as his clawed hand appeared with the rest of him, a breath's length away, grazing my arm in the process.

Once again, I made a point to locate myself on the other side of the room, quickly glancing down at my arm; it was simply out of habit, as even ghosts cannot physically harm other ghosts, under normal circumstances. I discovered that these seemed to be unusual circumstances as I watched with mute alarm as the numb nick on my arm began to be covered by a glimmering coating of ice.

_Why are you attacking me? We should be aligning, to kill that bastard who put us in this place, not fighting each other._ I questioned in my mind, the easy calm I communicated it in displaying the exact opposite of what I felt. I kept it up, though, to see if I could reason with him. If I couldn't, then I would panic, but not before.

"Are you really so dense? We're not getting out of here until some idiot pulls the levers!" I paused for a moment at hearing this, and that moment was all that was needed for the lunatic to have me pinned against the nearest wall, both of his hands wrapped around my neck and leaving frost in their wake. Naturally, I struggled and even resorted to kick at him, neither of which had a positive outcome. Grunting uncomfortably, I did my best to glare at the Jackal, not at all happy with how close he was to me.

"So," he continued, his otherwise blank expression turning into a grotesquely excited one, "I might as well spend the rest of my time teaching stupid whores not to say stupid things to me! Oh, look at that, you seem to be the only one around!" I hadn't even registered what he had said when ten very sharp nails dug deeply into my neck and caused my vision to flicker on and off for a few seconds. I did my best not to flinch from the sharp pinching sensation, but it happened anyway. I was so unused to any sensation that pain, of all things, threw me right back into the reality of the situation. I swiped to as close to his eyes as possible while digging the nails in my right hand as deep into his arm as I could. More giggling erupted from him and I growled in annoyance. The Jackal was simply toying with me, at this point, so I assumed that his anger was temporarily distracted by amusement of my pathetic attempts. When he pressed closer,-which I didn't think was possible-my fighting grew frantic, leading to the grip tightening around my neck and my vision to flicker again. The thought of summoning Stone crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it, because I knew that the ball was sulking from me yelling at it, a few weeks prior. The dead hold no interest of time.

"Bastard," I muttered darkly from under my breath as I felt the wall behind me begin to spark from the pressure being put on it. About to make another attempt at freeing myself, my plan was quickly put on hold as my sights flickered on the arm that I had sunk my nails into.

Freezing water was running out of the puncture wounds and dripping onto the floor. I was melting the ice of Hell's Winter. A thrill shot through me as a drop hit me and rolled down the length of my leg. Oh, how I had missed the sleek tendencies of water. Eyes trailing up to my tormenter's gaze, a confident smile slashed across my face, I sent a violent gust of wind at him and landed a successful blow across his chest. I then took his dumbfounded expression as my chance to escape.

Pushing myself into him, my finger's interlocking with the bars of his head cage, I sent both of us slamming into the floor. Now, this seemed to rekindle his anger and he resumed clawing at me, but I retaliated strongly, pinning his torso to the floor with my legs as I did so. I began to drain what water dripped from his wounds, forming a neat little puddle of it in the center of my cell, which I was planning to use later. The slash marks all over my shoulders, neck, and chest were merely an altercation; I would make them blend neatly in with my already present bite marks, later.

"I'll back off if you do." I offered a final time as I cut another mark into the Jackal's chin, my self-resolve weakening. I knew he felt it, too, but I had to at least try to get him to stop attacking me.

"Nice try," The beast purred sarcastically as he quite literally turned the tables by using his unrestrained hands to grab my waist and flip me over, "But I don't back off. Ever." Seeing only a cloud of gray, I flinched as a pressure was forced down on my torso, my vision clearing significantly as I came nose to nose with the straight jacketed one. The urge to break my vow to never scream again became stronger as I stared into the pair of spaceless blue eyes. The hate that had been absorbing me was intertwining with the pure insanity that I was being exposed to. I wanted the cold to go away, but the cold had a hostile fixation with me, leaving me with few options.

My options then shrunk to a single option as the Jackal, while still holding me down and giggling darkly, suddenly maneuvered very close to an area I wanted no one to be near. I did what I needed to do.

"Absum ego, infernus hibernum. Discedo me, discedo me, discedo me!" I shouted, in a rage, sending him through the air and trapped against one of the walls of his cells. "You scum bag! If you ever touch me again, I assure you that you won't possess that body part, even in death!" I seethed, the following thought that crossed my mind instantly calming me.

"Brother?" I called out sweetly, hearing the click of the intercom sound from somewhere above my head. I told him the six simple Latin words he needed and listened contently as the speaker clicked back off. Smiling somewhat, I landed another blow at the Jackal from my own cell as the glass quickly slid between us. He was viciously clawing at the glass and screaming curses, two seconds later, but I felt only a lesser extent of fear. Once you face your fear, head on, you find ways to rationalize why it had panicked you, in the first place.

As I stared at him, in fact, a hazy yet vivid picture appeared in my mind's eye. I paused, unsure of what was happening, before realizing that I was knee-deep in the Jackal's memories. I plucked the loudest ringing one out from the air.

_I watched idly as his living self was being surrounded by several broad shouldered men in white, one of them grabbing him and pinning him against a brick wall in the poorly lit room they were in. His screams of pain and apparent fear rang loud and clear, but no one acknowledged it-much like they would a wild animal. Another man then began to tighten the straps that secured his straightjacket. His arms were at an unnatural angle, to begin with, but this only contorted his shape more._

Sorrow gripped at me, even though he was a sick, violent, twisted being. He hadn't been an animal; he had been human, despite being mentally unbalanced. So humanity's misconceptions were an aid in his insanity.

I smiled positively at him, not letting the various unpleasant names he was calling me take effect. I then turned towards the wall nearest to the hallway and discovered that the white frost completely obscured my vision of Dana and Royce. Reaching a hand out to wipe a window into existence, I frowned at the ice chips protruding from my phantom flesh, but then smiled tiredly as I met their blue and brown eyes. The Jackal's screaming had ceased, which I was thankful for; he had become mostly clairvoyant and was in the sort of sleep state we could all induce ourselves to be in.

"What happened?" Dana asked with curiosity drenching her words.

"Yeah, Doll, ya' look like you've been sitting in an ice box." Royce had to comment, that annoying term that he constantly referred to me as becoming sort of a nickname. Wiping at my ice laden arms, I resisted the urge to shrug, my answer being a simple one.

"I had a run-in with a rabid dog." Comprehension instantly showed on their faces. Dana frowned and Royce smirked sarcastically.

"Didja' at least get a few good hits in? That guy irritates the hell outta' me." I nodded with a more genuine smile than before while wiping the frost off of myself to hinder my battle scars.

"Lots. Got him in the face a couple of times, too, but it's really hard to make that any uglier that it already is." I mentioned, rather proud of myself. Royce grinned and I somehow found our shared hate of the Jackal funny. Dana, of course, asked the question I was hoping wouldn't come up.

"How did you get away, though? Your cells are separated, again..." Needless to say, I slightly cringed, but faced her question honestly.

"Jeez, you guys miss all the fun parts. Well, Cyrus needed the last spell, and I wouldn't tell him what it was-the last page of the book was in my shoe, when I died-so he sent the dogs on me, so to speak. Once I finally got that crazy bastard pinned to the floor, I realized something: We won't be let out of these cells, until Cyrus has all twelve of you here, which I was preventing him from accomplishing. So, I told him the spell he needed, no more, no less. All we have to do now is wait for his second stage of the plan. Then we can start the fun part." The look I received was unsure, at first, but then Royce-as dependable as always-laughed. It was my turn to be confused, and I was about to say something, before he spoke.

"Ya' know, for a broad, you're pretty smart."

"You know, I could be offended by that remark, but I'm not." I shot back in a manner of ease while settling myself into the bottom half of the corner I had been kneeling by. The prince raised a brow, a sly grin etched into his features.

"You tryin' to put the moves one me, Doll?" My eyes widened and I stared at the jock, with an expression most would peg an indescribable, before bursting out into a fit of partly amused and partly nervous laughter.

"Sorry!" I apologized between giggles as I clutched my sides. I centered myself and looked back at him, all seriousness. "I'm not the flirting type." Royce cast me a doubtful look, his smug expression still intact.

"Then why are you?" I banged on the glass and huffed exaggeratedly.

"I am not!" I shouted in exasperation, moping, my lips pursed and my arms crossed. I found myself partially glad of the cells separating us; I saw something in the Torn Prince's eyes that I wasn't quite sure I liked. After an eternity of seconds, he smirked and winked at me, his bat leaned up against his shoulder.

"Suite yourself, Doll; I've got nothin' better to do." Huffing again, I turned my gaze upwards at the tubes and wires running along the ceiling, wondering why everyone was resorting to harassing me to amuse themselves. Feeling frustrated, I called out to Stone, who immediately appeared from the ceiling and was nestled into my hands, in a matter of seconds.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." I cooed in a hushed whisper while doting on my toy. Hugging it to my chest, I felt a fierce protectiveness overwhelming me as I heard it give off a sad whimper.

"What's the matter?" I asked, frowning, my frown deepening as Stone answered with a variety of humming and grunts.

"Oh no." I fretted, hugging the ball tighter to my chest. Allegedly, Cyrus had sent a team out to capture Stone, which was the true reason why my toy had been gone for so long.

"Well, I'm glad they didn't catch you. Rest; we're going to be very busy, soon." I insisted, tracing the invisible lines etched into the ball, a smile appearing on my face as it stilled and leaned into me for comfort. Humming something to the effect of The Magic Flute, I shut my eyes and leaned myself against the corner, remaining still, for just a little while, to restore my energy.

* * *

**And that's that! Yay, fictional violence! Did I make the Jackal homicidal enough? Did I make Royce "typical 50's guy" enough? Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the movie Thirteen Ghosts. No copyright infringement is intended by me writing this purely fictional story.**


	6. Diversions

The next day, something new happened, much to my amusement.

They-and by they, I mean the brown haired bitch and a bunch of the extras-were loading another cube into the basement. The thing was, it was in the vacant space that had operated as a window between Billy's and my cells. I had a scary new neighbor to contend with whom, sooner or later, would find out that I had aided to his capture. What peaked my interest, however, was that the cube that held him also held a corpse clad in black clothing and a clear, shiny, jacket.

"How are they going to get that out of there, without losing another seven men?" I mused to anyone who was listening, but no one was, since they were all watching silently as the new arrival hit against the walls of his cell and made the whole thing shake.

"Damn." Three out of four of us chorused, making the Juggernaut aware of our presence. The seven feet tall giant stared at us in confusion, for a moment, before resuming his rage filled pummeling of the glass. I knew what was going to happen, next, so I calmly waited while facing the hallway beyond my glass walls.

When the brown haired bitch I had recently found out was named Kalina appeared from down the hall, I stared at her with a truly dark demeanor passing over my face. I waited in a purely clairvoyant state, until she was standing directly in front of me. I appeared exactly as I hit the glass, taking no pleasure in her panicked expression, my own expression half way towards being enraged.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, curiosity peeking out from behind my mask of anger. She paused, a frown on her face as she indecisively thought to herself.

"Cyrus was...killed while he was capturing the twelfth ghost. He left me with a set of directions and I plan on following them." Setting aside my disappointment of not getting to kill him, just yet, I narrowed my eyes at her in suspicion.

"If you've come here to ask me to sacrifice something else, you can go right back upstairs." I said neutrally, not allowing my emotions to show, despite the twisting I felt at my core. Kalina knew of my game, by then, her face only expressing a twisted grin.

"Oh, but I think you'll have no choice but to carry out this favor. Cyrus kept some items that used to be yours."

My gaze slowly turned to the wooden box in her greedy hands. Recognition instantly flared up in my mind upon looking at what used to be my jewelry box. I pressed my hand against the glass, wanting nothing more than to break all ten of her fingers and take my property back. My grandmother had given the box to me for my tenth birthday and I cherished it with all my being.

"What exactly do you plan on doing with that?" I asked dryly, fuming when she began to wind the music turner protruding from the back of the box, the music being withheld by the closed lid.

"I have a proposition for you, Iris. If you follow through, no harm will come to it; if not, then, well...It'll make excellent firewood, I think." I stared silently, my teeth biting down on my cracked lips, so that a trickle of vanishing blood rolled down my chin. I contemplated simply laughing in her face. If she broke it, I knew I would completely snap, but I also didn't need another member of the Black Zodiac wanting to rip me to shreds.

_The Juggernaut looks like he'd do that to me, anyway, so I might as well let them get that corpse to its family._ I reasoned silently, stiffly nodding with a miserable expression on my face.

"I hope you know that I hate you." My voice whispered quietly, but she was already explaining what I needed to do, my task being a simple one: I had to sing and, hopefully, distract the Juggernaut for long enough to let the extras remove the body from the cell. I assumed that she knew I had once taken voice lessons because Cyrus told her, but it the fact that yet another piece of my past had been revealed did not amuse me in the slightest.

"You won't destroy the box, if I do?" I questioned tiredly, mistrust shining brightly in my eyes as I did. All I wanted was to be left to my own devices and that was exactly the opposite of what Kalina was doing for me.

"Exactly."

"Then I'll be sure to personally throw you into your very own Inferno, if you do otherwise." I stated, cutting the conversation off and turning away from her, my form moving to the center of the cell and facing my target. I waited for him to pause through the less frequent beats on the glass, before beginning.

"Win dain a lotica

En val tu ri

Si lo ta

Fin dein a loluca

En dragu a sei lain

Vi fa-ru les shutai am

En riga-lint"

I stood still as the hits against the glass ceased and the giant turned his attention towards me, no true sign of emotion plating on his face, except for maybe confusion. I was surprised by how my voice's condition had remained exactly as it had while I was alive; except for the whisper of air and slight echo that came before and after speaking, of course. Keeping a smooth expression, I maintained eye contact with the Juggernaut while continuing my song.

"Win chent a lotica

En val turi

Si lo ta

Fin dein a loluca

Si katigura neuver

Floreria for chesti

Si entina

La la la la la la la la la, la la la, la la

Fontina blu cent

Des cravi esca letisimo

La la la la la la la la la, la la la, la la

De quatian

La finde reve"

By the time I finished the chorus, the bullet-hole riddled spirit was standing directly in front of the glass between us, the extras preparing to enter his cell. So very tempted to point it out to my captive audience, I continued singing, taking a step forwards as his eyes wandered to look to his side.

"Win dain a lotica

En val tu ri

Si lo ta

Fin dein a loluca

En dragu a sei lain

Vi fa-ru les shutai am

En riga-lint"

Letting the last note hang in the air, I smiled timidly up at the Juggernaut, silently hoping that he wouldn't be fazed by the sudden lack of bodies in his cell. The words I had formulated in my head were then interrupted as I was preparing to speak. Now_ what?_ I wondered mentally as both of us turned our attention on the Jackal, who was pressed up against the glass and was giggling more than loudly-just to irritate me, I was sure. Furrowing my brow, I merely cast him a sideward glance, not giving the mental patient the satisfaction of knowing he'd distracted me.

"You have something to say, Jackal?" I shot out impatiently, tapping my foot on the glass floor while he met my scornful look with a gleeful one.

"The family's all together, now!" I grimaced and rolled my eyes as the term he used.

"Good; you can be the crazy uncle. Now, shut up!" I yelled, still majorly pissed at him for mauling me. He did so but flopped down on the floor, staring at me with those unnerving blue eyes. I rose a brow; apparently, I had-more or less-proven myself by landing a few good blows at his face. My attention was easily distracted, however, when the giant shifted from the corner of my eye.

He had turned back to see why it had gotten so quiet and must have noticed the corpse missing, as his blank expression turned to a deep frown. My eyes widened slightly; he was scary, up close, even with two walls of unbreakable glass walls separating us.

"Hello," I said a little too loudly. "My name's Iris. That's Dana," I gestured behind me. "And Royce. And that, apparently, is our crazy uncle." Gesturing at the Jackal, I was half tempted to smile by the irritated expression the caged maniac was sending me. Did he really not think that I wouldn't try to irritate or, at the very least, poke fun at him? I had been the oldest child in my family; annoying others was my civic duty.

"I have a plan to get all of us out of here and continue with what we were doing, before getting stuck in these cells. You're welcome to join in, if you want, but we'll all have a task to carry out. How about it, um...What's your name?" I asked cautiously, a small smile brightening my face when his deep voice answered, somewhat quietly.

"Horace." I nodded in acknowledgment, just about to repeat my question, before the Juggernaut turned from me and disappeared from sight.

"Okay, you think on that, then." I awkwardly called after him, turning back towards Royce and Dana, a disgruntled look caught on my face. Dana moved forwards, gripping the large knife in her hand in apparent excitement.

"You've come up with a plan?" She asked hopefully, giving me a half smile as I nodded, in my own mischievous state of excitement. I settled myself at an angle mostly facing them while keeping my demeanor serious.

"The fact that all twelve of you are here reminded me of something. Cyrus needs something…else from a thirteenth member of the Black Zodiac. That means that, once that person arrives, the house will be locked up tight and these cells will start to open. And _that _means that Cyrus-wherever that scumbag is hiding-will have to be here, at the end. By then, we'll all be unrestrained and _he _will be out in the open." Some variation of a smile was on everyone's face; they all wanted a piece of my brother, it seemed, and I couldn't say I blamed them. I was determined to deliver the final blow, of course, but I was always willing to share.

I started explaining each of the roles they were to play. Dana was to herd whoever looked

capable to the control room. Royce was in charge of finding where in the Hell Cyrus was hiding and seemed a little disappointed that this didn't include much violence. I kindly added that he was free to take a swing or two at anyone who got in his way. This cheered him up and he began to take a few practice swings through the air. The Jackal's job was to keep everyone away from my cell, in which I was planning on keeping my jewelry box and whatever else I felt I needed to keep safe. I wasn't sure if he'd follow through, though, but I didn't know any of the other ghosts enough to trust them any more than I trusted him-which wasn't saying much, really. I did, however, send word down the aisles to request that the Great Child and the Dire Mother patrol the highest floor of the house. After some time of speaking amongst themselves, they agreed without much question, much to my relief.

"Hey, what about me?" A young sounding, temperamental, voice called out from the next hall over, making me smile slightly.

"You want to help too, Billy? Alright; do you know who Kalina is?"

"I hate Kalina."

"Perfect." I grinned happily, watching as Stone rolled in a circle around the middle of the room. "Your job is to make sure she stays out of the control room, for as long as possible, while I'm in there." I instructed, his demented child's laugh making me feel all warm and fuzzy.

"Easy." I nodded to him, my face softening a bit, before my walls went back up. I returned my gaze to the others, all of whom were jittery with anticipation. I remained quiet, though, thinking and rethinking about my plan to the finest details; we only had one chance and the pressure was on me to put in all together.

* * *

**Ta-da! The action part of this story is about to begin! I ****promise **_**that this won't turn into a song fic; I just needed a way to have Iris distract Horace. The song I used is "Sora's Song" by Yoko Kanno. Go look it up, it sounds really pretty. :D 'Til next week!**_

_**-Jess**_


	7. Trust

When the day finally came, a plethora of footsteps could be heard from the floor above, leading me to believe that Cyrus had hired a cleaning crew to make the house immaculate and even more irresistible to the soon-to-be thirteenth ghost. While the others were contenting themselves with listening to the ruckus, I crept closer to the Juggernaut's cell, still tentative of how I approached the giant man.

"Excuse me, Horace?" I half whispered, my form curled up in one of the corners facing his cell, despite how restless I felt. He appeared, then, leaning boredly against the wall with his back facing me. However, his head was turned as he looked at me, obviously wondering what I was going to say. I stared at him, weighting my words, before going through with it.

"Have you thought about my offer? I think you're going to like your task, if you accept." I said coyly, an earnest look brightening my face as I cast him a quirky grin. Minutes passed and I remained sitting still, frozen to my spot while waiting for his answer. After another five minutes of him not replying, I frowned pitifully, at then which he nodded.

"Yes! Your job's the most fun, I think. All you have to do is stop anyone who interferes with our plan...by any means necessary." At this, the Juggernaut's face brightened. The cruel smirk that he donned disturbed me, but I was relieved, since he had probably been planning on doing close to the same thing; gaining bonus points with him was always a good thing.

"Is everyone clear on what they're doing?" I asked while turning to look at the others. Dana and the Jackal nodded, but Royce seemed a little skeptical, staring at me with a furrowed brow.

"What will you be doin', through all this, Doll?" He prompted, not easily trusting-one of the traits we shared.

"Well, seeing as the machine will have you all released, at different times, I need to mix up the order of things. I've figured that I'll be the first one out-Cyrus is that cocky-and will use my telekinesis to my advantage. I can't directly pull the lever, since there are most definitely spells in the control room, but I can influence the person Dana leads into the room to pull the levers, out of order. This will both stall Cyrus and provide extra time to find that pompous ass." I explained, mentally slapping myself for not telling them, sooner. Had they expected me to sit around while they did all the work? Well, seeing as I couldn't feel much trust radiating off of even Dana, I guessed that they had. I couldn't say that I would trust them to save my neck, but the doubt still stung.

I closed my eyes, curling into myself while preparing myself for what I needed to do. As I did, all of my hurt and anger began to simmer-a quiet, gradual shift. I needed to concentrate-I would kill them all-to keep my head level-they're blood would soon be spilled-and my temperament even…

"Keep still, keep still, keep still." I muttered urgently, fists balled, body tensed. The half of me that lusted for bloodshed was overwhelming the half of me that had once painted elegant portraits of streams and melting snow. I cringed, feeling shadows and lights whipping around in me, neither about to surrender.

_I have morals, damn it!_ I cried from my head. _Morals and values! I shouldn't even have to be thinking about this!_ While basking in my misery, I heard the voice I had been waiting to make an appearance, in my head.

_It's a choice between what you want to do and what you need to do._ I peered up into crazed blue eyes, surprisingly fine with the fact that my counterpart was rooting through my memories. It was sort of like a take a penny, leave a penny, situation.

_I happen to still have some traces of sanity left, Jackal._ I retorted, grimacing when he grazed the memory of the dog attack.

_Being sane isn't as important as having fun!_ He stated, a gravelly laugh echoing through my head. I, however, was unamused and shivered as he treaded through the last low point of my life, before I died.

_I watched mutely from the background as a screen-like scene appeared in the back of my mind. A still living version of me perched on a cabinet in one of the bathrooms of my house. By the length of my hair, I guessed I was seventeen, at the time. My hair-not yet matted and dimmed from the sea water-was tied up in a ponytail, my ringlets cascading down to the middle of my back. I was hunched over, one knee to my chest, busying myself with the metallic object in my hand. Both my past self and I watched, untroubled, as red began to glimmer and trickle down from my upper thigh, staining the sides of the counters and making small puddles on the floor. My past self's face was a concentrated frown, showing neither pain nor satisfaction at the new scars I had created._

I blinked, ripping the memory away from the Jackal, feeling dizzied from such a strong flashback.

_That was private._ I thought to him, indignant. He grinned at me in reply, an animalistic showing of amusement.

_And not very _sane_ of you, either. You still have those scars, girly?_ He asked, a gleam in his eyes. My head, which had been slightly inclined towards my chest, snapped up so I could glare at him. I had a strong premonition that I was going to be ambushed, before the day was over.

"That's none of your business." I replied heatedly. Stone gave off a growl-like humming. I quickly quieted him with a simple look.

_We both know that I'm going to find out. You might as well tell me, or I'm going to do it the _hard_ way!_ The maniac stated, his tone promising the words he whispered in my head. I shook my head defiantly, a look of utter intolerance resting on my face.

_The sooner I can rid myself of you, the better._

* * *

A few hours later, everyone had ended up sulking to themselves. I was because of the Jackal's rummaging around through my mind, the Jackal because of the last comment I had made to him, Royce because he still didn't trust my words, and Dana because that's just what she did. The utter lack of light didn't much improve the mood, either. I sighed-this was no mood to be in, right before a basement-wide exacting of revenge. Glancing around, my mind rather bored, a small smile lit my face as my eyes landed on Stone.

"Stone: song five of playlist 2-B." I requested quietly, smiling brightly as the first six counts of six, played by a guitar, rang throughout the basement. The drums, base, and vocals shortly followed, intertwining with each other while still maintaining their own independent sounds. I sat back, calm and reserved, while they all perked up slightly from the familiar song; everyone, no matter which era they are from, will always appreciate Enter Sandman.

"Now, listen here and listen good," I commanded over the music, sanding to face all of them, "We are about to begin the first stage of our vendetta. The sun's setting-they should be here, in a few hours. Everyone needs to have a clear head, if we're to pull this off; If anyone's got anything to say to me, then say it." I stared, unblinking, at the silent majority. After a few moments of awkward silence, Royce shifted in his seated position on his overturned car, not looking at all timid about what he wanted to say.

"I don't trust you." He stated solemnly. I nodded, my own solemn expression showing, listening offhandedly as the next song began to play: Careless Whisper, one of my favorites.

"I don't need your trust," I replied confidently, "I just need to know that you're going to carry out your part of the job." I mirrored the dumbfounded look he cast me when he didn't respond.

"Why not?"

"Why should I?"

"I really don't get you, Doll." The smile I cast was purely beneficial to the mood I gave off.

"There's nothing to get; I'm not as complicated as one would think me to be. Philosophically speaking, all I really am is a shadow of a person who once existed. Depressing, isn't it? Well, it would be, if you weren't simply copying a possible reaction that your former self would have given." I said, trying to keep a serious disposition, but failing miserably. Despite the laughter building up inside me, I was still serious, which Royce instantly picked up on.

_Since when am I synchronized with that,_ I pondered and looked at the Torn Price, _and not that?_ I peered at the Jackal, who was scratching as the glass like a cat stuck outside on the snowiest day of winter.

"So, you don't trust me, either?" Royce gathered.

"Pretty much." I confirmed.

"...Why not?" I looked-really looked-at him, seeing the genuine person he was capable of being. I felt pain strike me as I found myself wanting to trust him and another pain as I couldn't bring myself to.

"Because," I said sadly, "trusting someone lead to my death."

* * *

**The fourth marking period of any school year really is tough, you guys! I have about five projects and have to write a zombie apocalypse story by the 21st(yeah, my creative writing teacher has that kind of humor)! XD Pheew, but I'll keep updating, as long as I know people are interested in reading this story. **

**Until next week,**

**Jess**


	8. Confession

We all heard the noises at the same time; wheels going over the driveway, car doors opening and closing, and several voices conversing amongst themselves. The floor above us slowly lit up, signaling that someone had started the machine. I stared upwards, concentrating on the muffled voices, my eyes widening at the highest pitched voice.

"Oh, _no_..." I gasped, feeling the presence of the child as they moved deeper into the house. The others in the basement had been all kinds of evil, before their deaths, and children were the most vulnerable and aware of spiritual entities. The child was going to be targeted, I knew, because I was fighting off my own urges to make fear fill their eyes. This time, I allowed myself to begin to pace, periodically glancing up as the footsteps traveled towards the center of the house and then as a lone set moved down a hallway and towards the steps leading to the basement.

All of our gazes settled on the average height, thin, young looking man in an orange jumpsuit who was creeping his way down the hall. He definitely suspected something strange to be down here-a very rational thought, on his account. Halfway through the hall, just about in front of Dana's and my cells, the man seemed to cringe from some unseen force and I felt him look directly at me. His eyes widened significantly, while I drifted closer to him, narrowing mine defensively.

"Cyrus, you sick bastard! Why, damn it, why!" He shouted, another blow directed at him causing him to cry out and fall over directly in front of Royce's cell, dry heaves racking his frame as he experienced some sort of pain none of us knew. None of the others had any sympathy on their faces, however, their scowls confusing me.

"Who is he?" I questioned openly, surprised that Dana was the one to answer one of my questions, instead of asking one of her own, for a change.

"His name's Dennis Rafkin; he's a psychic and he's how Cyrus found all of us." I took a second glance at this Dennis fellow, watching as he struggled for breath while clutching his head, obviously not enjoyinh what was happening to him.

"_He _is? Huh...Why is he twitchin' like that?" I asked, instantly reprimanding myself silently for talking like some 50's punk. _I have to get out of here; these people are rubbing off on me. _Dana cast me a knowing smirk before answering.

"Whenever he gets near ghosts, he goes into seizures, so you can only guess how much pain he's in now." She said with some satisfaction lacing her features. I could understand her mindset, but I strangely felt no anger or even resentment at the man curled up into a ball on the floor. The others could have him; I only wanted Cyrus.

Shortly after Dennis had recomposed himself and gone upstairs, another set of footsteps descended from above, proving for the second round of entertainment. A rather cocky looking man in a well-tailored suit came strutting down the hall, wearing a pair of the glasses and making rude comments to each of the others, definitely irritating Dana the most.

"You can have him." I mouthed to her, drawing a line across my throat with a finger, remembering that she'd had to deal with men-or, to describe them better, pigs-like him during her lifetime. Dana nodded and smiled, directing the creep's attention to me, much to my displeasure. His ice blue eyes smiled at me and I glowered at him.

"Hey, cutie, ever been with a lawyer?" I stared at him, aghast at his words, while contemplating whether to send Stone after him or not. I turned my back to him and decided against it-decided to be the bigger person-until the tinkling of music notes rang out through the basement. I completely stilled, not even my hair moving in the constant breeze that blew around me. Stone disappeared to the other side of the glass and bludgeoned the snake of a man who dared to touch my music box. When he was unable to stand, I slowly turned to face back to him, a cold smile flitting across my face at the mess his face had become.

"You know what to do next, Stone." I signaled under my breath, watching as the ball attached the barely conscious man's sleeve to itself and began to drag him down the hall. As I waited, I bounced on my heels, the water I had with me rising and circling me in the form of water droplets. My hair returned to the natural ringlets I had once worn, still washed out from the ocean's water, but springing life to my otherwise dulled eyes. I smiled as a cranking noise sounded from near where I stood, Dana's and my doors sliding open at the same time. I stepped out, carefully shutting the lid of the jewelry box to quiet the haunting melody, but then picked it up and straightened to come face to face with the other young woman.

"After I finish opening the cells, you can have that snake in the grass." I offered, smiling, my attention veering off towards the sound of metal being bent. The Torn Prince had put another dent in his sweetheart using only his hand.

"No, he's mine." He said, a hell-bent look on his face, not about to take no for an answer. I stared at him with widened eyes, startled and wondering why he was being so insistent, before slowly nodding.

"Um...Alright, if you feel that strongly about it, and if Dana doesn't object..?" I said, looking at Dana for her consent. _I really don't need this, right now._ The other woman was staring at us strangely, a look of knowing shining in her dark brown eyes.

"Yeah, that's fine; I've got bigger fish to fry." She allowed, peering upwards with a wicked look on her face. "Have at it, then, lover boy." I watched as she disappeared, leaving an uncomfortable silence behind. Turing, I moved back into the cell that had held me and placed my music box in the center of the floor, before darting out of the enclosure just in case it closed again. It didn't, of course, but I had to be cautious.

"So," I began, glancing over to the Jackal, then Horace, then Royce, then back to the Jackal, and then finally settling my gaze on Royce. "I should go find the control room. Stone had to start the process to let me out, and I don't want any of the others out, before those of you whom I do need." Except for Royce, my words fell on deaf ears. The Jackal was scratching at the glass and Horace was sitting with his head leaned against the glass and his back to me. Throwing my hands up in exasperation, I started striding down the hall, my shoes making funny little tapping sounds against the glass floor.

* * *

I had made four left turns and two right turns, then down a few very long hallways, before finally finding Stone hopping excitedly in what I assumed was the control room. A giant hour glass-shaped mass was spinning and whirring in the center of the room and going up, into the floor above.

"The Occularis Infernum." I muttered to myself, both impressed and anxious to see the actual thing before me. Snapping my attention back to the task at hand, I peered down at the seedy lawyer, who was groaning in pain by my feet. Kneeling down, I gently grabbed a hold of the sides of his head, as his eyes widened in fear from behind the now cracked glasses he wore. Smiling angelically, I shushed him as he was about to let out a scream, smoothing back his blood-encrusted blonde hair.

"Hey, guess what? I have a job for you." I said, giggling when he donned the look of a deer stuck in headlights. "Didn't know we could talk, huh? That's alright; I just need you to listen. Do you understand me?" He nodded and I gave a slightly less innocent smile. "Good."

From memory, I directed the lawyer man to which lever to pull and which peddle to step on. I was familiar with Royce's, Billy's, and the Jackal's symbols, but the symbol of the Great Child and the Dire Mother escaped me. I studied the panel of twelve levers, for a good five minutes, before guessing it. This distracted me from pulling the lever to Horace's cell. Well, that and the fact that Billy came racing down the hall to see me.

"Iris, I'm out! Out, out, out!" He exclaimed, smiling at me, before glaring at the stunned man behind me.

"Oh, good, I was hoping I chose the right lever! Now, go and hold down the line for me, okay?" I requested, saluting him, before he disappeared down the hall. I paused, trying to remember what I was doing, before pointing at the man as he reached for a large briefcase full of money.

"That's my family's money, not yours, so put it down if you want to survive this." I ordered, nodding to myself and moving towards the doorway. "Now, follow me."

I sauntered down the hall, the cowardly lawyer and Stone following from behind, my objective very unclear.

"Where are we going?" The blonde haired wimp asked, flinching as Stone growled at him. I had no idea, of course, but I wasn't about to let _him_ know that.

"I've been stuck, in that cell, for months." I said, "I'm stretching me legs. Shut up." He did and we continued wandering around, until the sound of metal scraping against metal caught my attention.

Peeking around the next corner, my hand tightly gripping around the lawyer man's suit sleeve, I quietly groaned to myself as what I saw.

They were already at each other's throats. Royce swung at the Jackal, who deflected with his head cage, causing sparks to fly through the air. Then the Jackal rammed Royce into the nearest wall, the two rolling on the floor like a pair of fighting cats. Casting a dull look to the lawyer man behind me, I attempted to sneak across the threshold of the hall, but I was spotted.

"Wait!" They both called out, scrambling over each other to get up, which gave me the perfect opportunity to ditch the living man and take off down the hall. I began sprinting, not bothering to turn back to look, when insane giggles and shouting erupted from behind me.

"You two are acting like children; stop it! Stop!" I called back, huffing when more giggles and the sound of pounding footsteps was my only answer.

_Men-ugh! _I continued running, taking any new corridor I could find, until a clicking sounded from behind me. Turning, I smiled when I saw that a glass panel had trapped them on the other side, leaving me with a pleasant silence.

"Go do your jobs." I mouthed, pointing at their disappointed faces, before waving and making my way down another hallway.

* * *

Mind wandering, I skipped down the hall I was currently in, Stone rolling cheerfully beside me. My mood was changed by a twinge of urgency as I heard a voice call from a bit off.

"You guys, this isn't funny!" It was the child, who I then knew was a boy, by the tone of his voice. I moved towards the source of the sound, picking up two other female voices calling to someone named Bobby. One urged him to stay out of the basement and the other beckoned in a tempting voice. I remained silent and just out of sight as the boy moved deeper into the underbelly of the house. Then, as a cackling rang out from around the corner, I acted quickly and blocked the malevolent ghost's way to the child.

The teenaged girl I faced was clad in a pink prom dress with ropes and a neck tie binding her hands and neck. She simply glared at me and went on her way down the hall, the echo of her shrieking laughter dinning through the corridors along with other sounds distant ghosts were making.

_Is there a hierarchy down here, or what? _I wondered, turning to see the boy passed out on the floor. I remained where I was, not budging, lest others come sniffing around for a living being to harm. Nothing happened, however, despite me hearing the very distant swinging of a bat. Finally, the same voice that had warned the boy called out to him, quiet and seeming far away. The approaching ghost and the boy were obviously related, so I averted my attention, to give them privacy.

_ I wonder if Royce has found Cyrus. Is Kalina having trouble getting into the house? I hope so; she's so very irritating…_My attention snapped back when an ear piercing scream broke through the air and the little boy ran screaming. I whirled around, spotting the not-really-half-dead version of Cyrus, whom was nice and cozy inside of a glass paneled room with three times the protective barrier spells than the rest of the house. I only had to contemplate, for a few moments, before acting on my decision.

_I just have to wait, until he comes out, then. _I mused, sending Stone through the glass to harass my dear brother. I then went in the direction in which Bobby had ran, but easily found him, once again passed out; he had run into another wall.

* * *

"Okay, just a little…more…there, he's in." I said to myself, resting the unconscious boy on the floor of my cell. There was no way that I would have just left him there, like dead prey, and I could only think of one place to bring him. Wiping the imaginary sweat from my brow, I made a point to fog up the cell as much as I was able to, hoping that it would keep the boy safe. I was about to leave, before I spotted a looming mass in the cell behind mine, wishing I could have better felt the slap I delivered to my own face.

"Horace! I'm so sorry; I got chased and then Cyrus was there and I had to drag a body-I'll go get you out!" I yelled, moving out of the cell and making a left, before a much unexpected sight greeted me.

The lawyer man was crumpled on the floor, like a rag doll, his skin bloodied with dents clearly in his skull. Blood pooled around the corpse and ran towards my feet in the form of a thin stream. The expression he last held was of sheer pain and fear. I stared down at the body, a small smile on my face, knowing what I was doing when I stepped forward.

My boot stepped into the blood puddle. As soon as it did, the blood around that boot turned to a sort of dust as I extracted every ounce of water from it, the puddles drying and running back towards the body. Altogether, the average adult male body is composed of about 60% water, and I wanted it now that he had no use of it.

After five minutes of skin cracking and bone crumbling, I tore my gaze away from the mummified corpse and watched the sheets of water around me waver and ripple. My gaze instantly settled on Royce, who I knew had been there the whole time, watching me silently with his bat slung over his shoulder.

"Why did you..?" I trailed off, perplexed, taking a step away from the body and taking note that the water around me was rose-tinted. He looked at me with his brow raised.

"Why did you hide the ankle biter?" He asked sarcastically, his gaze making me increasingly uncomfortable.

"Compassion?" I replied simply, also questioning his actions as I said it.

"Something like that." My brow furrowed in confusion.

"Compassion for what?" I really didn't know what he was talking about and he was making me nervous. Royce sighed and paused, for a moment, before crossing the threshold between us. I did my best to not falter in expression as he grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me in a more subtle way than I had expected. All I could bring myself to do was stare at him.

"Don't make me have to say it, Doll." He pleaded, his voice strained with a frustrated expression on his face. My eyes widened significantly as I finally grasped what he was saying.

_No way; not freaking way. Right now, of all times! He can't honestly… _I felt a deep, wrenching pain in my core. _Why is this happening to me? _Hundreds of thoughts buzzed through my mind, varying from scared to hysterical, but I simply grasped onto the sleeves of his jacket with a loose grip.

"You idiot," I muttered, down casting my eyes and once again being glad that the dead cannot blush. I was in big trouble and I knew it when I looked into his eyes. He smiled that sly grin and I felt some parts of me sink.

_Very big trouble, indeed._

* * *

**I put a little more in, to make up for updating a day late, the past two weeks. I'd like to thank everyone who's updated and ask you to keep doing what you're doing. Reviews encourage me to update on time, (*Hint!*) as well as help me develop my writing style. So please wait patiently for next week's update. Thank you!**

**-Jess**


	9. Slaughter

**Heya, folks! I'd just like to let you know that there's some…unpleasantness in this chapter. So, if you're queasy, I suggest skipping that part (you'll know which part). Enjoy!**

* * *

I sat, leaned up against a wall, scowling at the person standing across from me. Cyrus hadn't moved from his spot but had inflicted a few light slash marks upon Stone. This put me in a foul mood.

"You suck." I grumbled, sticking my tongue out at him as he rolled his eyes.

"Don't you have a baby to drown or something?" He asked smugly, earning himself another death glare from me.

"Don't you have another sister to go push off a cliff?" The silence that followed was dense with tension. I huffed with boredom and tried not to make faces at my brother. Royce had gone to check out the rest of the living guests of the house-all 12 of the Black Zodiacs were curious to see who the 13th ghost was-so I was on my own, for a while. The silence suddenly broke as demented giggling, followed by a percussion of screaming, sounded from very close by. I stood and rushed towards the source of the noise. I spotted a young woman pinned against a wall with the Jackal being the one pinned up against her and slashing at her skin. A man then came into my line of vision and began pulling at the screaming girl's legs in a panic.

_Stupid, brave, _stupid _man. _I mused to myself, catching the blue eyed maniac's attention with both my inner monologue and the fact that I was charging, head on, towards the three of them. Before he could move, I barreled into the other ghost and let out a peeved growl. I was not in the mood to have to babysit him.

_What ever happened to keeping guard of my cell? _I mentally asked him, becoming irate when he only responded with a grin that was not amused in the slightest. He seemed hell-bent on keeping a firm grip on the girl, even with her father and I struggling to separate them. That being said, I was unreasonably grateful when Kalina appeared from around a corner and chucked a flare at us. I instantly dodged just far away enough from the sparkling light of fear and looked back. My counterpart was standing in the intersection between the hall the living had escaped down and the hall I was still lingering in. He was obviously confused and silently calculating as he feverishly gazed down both halls. I couldn't let him attack that poor girl, again. I slowly took a step backwards, knowing he wouldn't be able to resist jumping at a string dangled above his head.

I was right.

I tore down the halls, to the best of my ability, faking turns and stumbles to slow him down. However, I was already drained from dragging the boy named Bobby halfway across the basement, so I felt freezing hands graze my arms and sides, quite often.

_Crap, crap, crap! _I thought to myself, panicked and knowing that he would not relent if he caught me, this time.

"Come on, girly, I wanna' see those _scars!" _He howled after me, the sureness in his voice unnerving. I glanced back-from a route I could have sworn was clear-to see how painfully close he was. This was a big mistake, on my part; a glass panel slid out in my path while I wasn't looking. I was going so fast, at that point, that I rammed into the glass with a force that sent me sprawled across the floor. I instantly scrambled to my feet and began to avidly curse to myself when I was once again pinned to the nearest wall. I glared mutely at Hell's Winter, showing irritation while hiding my fear. The smug look in those icy blue eyes of his didn't help ease my worries, either.

"You really can't come up with anything more constructive to do, than to constantly torment me?" I asked, disappointed in my own negligence. A shriek of outrage began to form in my throat and I did my best to quiet it as those maddening eyes stared openly at me.

"Not really. Besides," he said, slithering his body up to mine and letting out a little moan, "You're the only one I can really _hurt_." I was barely fazed by the display because my focus was fully trained on the scenes playing out in my head.

A small grunt sounded in my throat as he dove into the memory of the dog attack.

_I watched, preoccupied, as my living form let out one cry after another. The dog ripped through layers of cloth and flesh, blood reddening its face as my past-self screamed and kicked at it. My father then came barreling out of the house, shotgun in hand, and fired. The bullet grazed my upper thigh then plummeted into the dog's skull. Blood stained the grass and most of my body, and in the distance, Cyrus could be seen cruelly smirking to himself. _

I snapped myself out of it, going to push away from my captor, only to find my hands pinned above my head. I thought fast and kneed him where the sun doesn't shine, but the Jackal only bent over a bit with an irritated look on his face, his grip as secure on me as ever.

_Uh-oh, _a small voice whispered in my head, letting out a little groan of despair as my captor meticulously inched the hem of my dress up. Several scenes simultaneously flashed in my mind's eye.

_The time my first crush rejected me; _Flash. _When I had punched a classmate in the face for mocking my accent; _flash. _One of the periods of my life when I had starved myself for months; _Flash.

Some of my scarred over slash marks were visible from just beneath my skirt. I was confused and increasingly disgusted by the fact that the Jackal was taking his own sweet time intimidating and violating me. It wasn't exactly normal behavior for a serial rapist and I honestly would have felt more certain if he had been trying to rip my dress to shreds. An uncomfortable squirming sensation ignited another bout of struggling in me. When I kicked at him this time, he easily wedged his hips between my legs, proving for an even more awkward predicament. When I tried to reverse the movement, the Jackal pressed closer and growled in a husky tone as he grabbed my thigh, his nails tracing down the length of my leg. The look in his eyes was one of possessiveness and I felt another fresh wave of fear wash over me. I tensed and felt the unbearable urge to scream burning inside me.

The Jackal let out another little moan that held some traces of purring in it as he pressed his hips into mine. Stone was frantically trying to reach me, but a thick layer of ice had formed throughout the entire hallway, causing it to smash into a series of walls. I was glad, in a way; I had already caused my toy so much pain.

_This is not right…Something else isn't right. _The tiny voice muttered as I let out a whimper of trepidation for what was to happen next.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" I hissed urgently as my lips began to tremble. I felt the rest of my body follow their example as another image flickered to life.

_It began in an uneasy car ride, sitting next to my brother, down to the coast-_

The Jackal hovered next to my ear as he pressed himself flat against me. The freezing sensation swarmed over me as he lingered there-

_We got out of the car, Mother carrying the picnic blanket and Father holding the basket. We settled by the cliff-_

He whispered the words with such an assurance and positivity that I didn't immediately understand them.

"You belong to _me, _not to that little snitch who wouldn't know what to do with you, if he had you."

_-We finished our lunch and I followed my angel of death to the edge. In one simple motion, I was being pushed-_

With a cocktail of laughter, purrs and moans, he plunged himself into me-

_And I was falling, falling, falling. Damn those cold brown eyes to Hell. Oh, I'm scared; How did this happen? Mommy…Daddy…anyone, save me. Please, save me. You can't reach me? Smash-pain and yet numb. I feel everything and nothing. It's cold, cold. Help, I can't move my legs. Predators are ripping flesh-_

And tore open every inch of flesh he could find, exposing muscle and vein and bone-

_And their little teeth ripped and ripped at me, and darkness clung to the edges of my sight. Death kissed my lips and it was my brother who had pushed me into its embrace…_

-A scream tore from me, loud and radiating through the halls. From that scream came another, then another, as the succession built up to a high soprano of anguish. I lost my focus completely and let the noise belt out from me, shrill and telling of my misery as I was repeatedly defiled and slashed at. I screamed as he turned his wicked gaze from me to see who was approaching. I screamed as he was pried off of me. I screamed as a pair of jacket clad arms held me to their owner, and let my screams dissolve into blatant sobbing as I clung desperately to Royce.

"I hate him, goddammit, I hate him!" I shrieked into his chest, taking some gratification in the fact that he was lightly stroking my hair in his best attempt at comforting me.

"I know, Iris, I know; I'm gonna' kill the bastard-_again -_the first chance I get." He promised softly, looking up to see the source of the nearby crashing noises.

_Why does he care? _The voice mused silently. I turned my tearful gaze to the side to follow his example and gasped quietly.

The Juggernaut had a firm grip on the top of the Jackal's head cage and held the struggling form away from him with little to no effort. The significantly shorter spirit was trying his damndest to reach me. I flinched into Royce, which earned me an enraged howl from the monster, but I refused to look at him.

_Why does _he _care? _This time, a panic sounded from the voice as I began to shake again. I kept perfectly still, until the noises of struggling ceased, as which point I felt composed and safe enough to inch away from my savior. I wasn't able to, however, as the James Dean wannabe stubbornly maintained his hold on me. I had felt a not unpleasant warmth radiating through me and I had a suspicion that he was feeling the same thing.

"Royce? You can let go, now. I'll be fine…Royce?" I said, my voice muffled from being pressed into his shoulder. I then came to the sudden realization that, if I were to be let go, I would have collapsed to the ground; so I held on tighter.

_I used to be strong…What happened? _I wondered to myself, allowing the warmth to envelope me as my senses eased into a sort of bliss. I allowed myself to relish the sensation, for just a moment, before maneuvering my tactic to get him to let me go.

I traced my fingers up his sides, over his shoulders, past his neck. I did this slowly and compared either side of his face-the torn, burned side and the smooth, handsome side.

"Ya' wanna' know why I got into that race that greaser?" He asked while I traced his features with my fingertips, his eyes burning into mine. I absolutely did; I nodded with my eyes wide and unblinking.

"I wanted to impress a girl," he admitted, looking away and then back at me, "I regret feeling anything for that broad. She was rich, pretty…not worth it. Everyone's got hang-ups-could be why we're all here-and mine's having to impress everyone. I haven't felt like that in a long time; not until I met you. This is gonna' sound real sappy…you kind of intimidate me, Doll-" I placed a finger to his lips and placed a light kiss on the torn side of his face, then on the unmarred side.

"You don't have to impress me." I stated while maintaining eye contact with him, trying not to smile too much when his expression wavered. He didn't say anything; he didn't need to. Another dull pain throbbed in my chest, but it abruptly smothered itself out as our lips met. It was just a shy, tentative peck, but it still had soothing warmth spreading through me.

-Now, don't get me mixed up with any other raging-hormone-induced, ditzy teenage girl who turns into a helpless maiden, at the first sign of danger; who goes to run and hide behind her main love interest, just because the opportunity arises. That's just not how to deal with things. I once punched someone out for saying I (probably) hit like a girl. Well, I don't, and that poor sap had to deal with the broken nose I had bestowed upon him. On with my story, then…

I pulled away from Royce, not having to use much force to do so, as he seemed to be in some kind of daze. I-literally-smacked him out of it, though, tugging him along with me before he could fully recover.

"Hurry up; I need to stop Cyrus and you're going to distract Rafkin and that other guy from interrupting me." I instructed, grinning coyly when I turned to see the un-amused expression on his face.

"C'mon, Clayton, do it for me." I pleaded, casting him the biggest doe eyed expression I could manage. My pout turned into a grin of victory when his expression wavered.

"Fine." He muttered, taking the lead and dragging me down a series of halls. Stone, who had been hovering near me protectively since the moment I had been saved, rolled behind us at a clingy yet welcome distance. When we finally stopped, I noticed that we were in front of a fork in the paths branching towards the control room and where Rafkin and the other guy were. I smiled, knowing I would have gotten lost, if not for Royce. After being pulled into another brush of the lips, I playfully punched him in the arm.

"Go get 'em, tiger." I encouraged, moving a few feet down the hall and turning back to glance at him. He looked about ready to run at and tackle me, but at that precise moment, the house shifted and cut our hallways off from each other. I timidly waved as he stood with his forehead pressed up against the glass, mock pouting. Before a wave of empathy could hit me, I turned back around and ran down the hall, only needing to make a left turn to reach my destination.

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**I will say that this chapter was not easy to write(I think I should bump the rating up). Certain acts of violence are unacceptable, but when you have to deal with a character that's an ex serial rapist, what ya' gonna' do? It also was necessary, for later developments, so please hang in there! **

'**Til then,**

**Jess **


	10. Betrayal

As I reached the sliding glass door, I saw through to the interior of the room. Kalina and a woman with shoulder length black hair were by the control board. Kalina was rummaging through some papers and the other woman was staring directly at me with wide eyes. I gave a slight head-bob in acknowledgement, but otherwise remained in my spot, a little weary about the flare in her hand. All I had to do was for Cyrus, who was never late to an appointment, so I had little to worry about. I distractedly watched Stone bounce in its spot while I idled where I stood.

That's when things got really ugly, _really _quickly. A scraping noise sounded from behind me and I turned to see who was approaching. I was quite surprised to see Dana making her way down the hall, half looking at me and half staring at the woman holding the flare.

"I didn't expect to see you so soon, Dana." I greeted warmly, my smile a little stiff with tension. I knew the expression she had on her face; she wanted to take that other woman down, for _good. _However, I couldn't allow Dana to do so, as I needed her for other purposes.

"Neither did I; why were you standing there, just now?" She asked, obviously just as suspicious of me as I was of her. My eyes slightly narrowed; while we were stuck in our respective cells and had nowhere to be, her questioning had been an acceptable form of a conversation starter, but now it was a set up for a challenge.

"I'm waiting Cyrus out; and I need to make sure that woman is kept safe and alive." I stated bluntly, my frown deepening as hers did.

"That's not going to happen, Iris; she's mine." Dana retorted just as bluntly, officially setting my temper off. I tilted my head to one side, smirking to myself and noticing a few other ghosts clustering around to see what was going on.

"Oh, no, I don't think you understood me. She's going to be an essential part of the plan." I said with an almost unnoticeable amount of poison lacing my words. I frowned; why was I being such a bitch to someone I considered a fair companion? It was either because of stress or the fact that I was being watched.

_Are we in high school, or something? _I wondered idly, my brittle expression returning to a sincere one at the flip of a switch.

"I don't care for her either way; I just want to be able to get out of this hellhole, in one piece. Afterwards, it wouldn't matter to me if you kebabed her, but _not _before." Dana did not seem to appreciate the fact that I was calling her out in front of the other ghosts.

_I guess it's a Black Zodiac thing; I really couldn't give a damn. _I mused, my attention zeroing on her as she opened her mouth to retort to my chiding.

"Listen, honey, just because you're Royce's new arm candy doesn't give you any right to try to boss me around." I stared, stricken, as she smirked nastily at me. I had been unsure and insecure about all kinds of things, since the Torn Prince had hinted at anything, and Dana knew it. It stung like a slap to the face and I _would _get revenge.

Seeing the stunned expression on my face, Dana's smirk grew, as she obviously thought she had won.

"Now, step aside." I took a step forward, my frown not wavering in the slightest.

"Step around me." I challenged, rolling my eyes as the crowd shifted in excitement of a catfight. The Jackal was, apparently, on parole as he stood in the back of the crowd, Horace towering immediately next to him with his arms stiffly crossed. Gritting my teeth in aggravation, I looked back at Dana, who was confidently moving towards me with a firm grip on her knife. The moment she got within arm's reach, I grabbed her by the hair, whirled her around to the farthest wall, and bashed her head into it. I then promptly returned to the original spot I was standing in.

"I," I said with acid dripping in my voice, "am _no one's '_arm candy_.'_ Try harder to remember that and we won't have this problem."

"Bitch!" Dana snarled, rubbing the dent I clearly left in her head. She, apparently, wasn't too pleased with me. I gathered this when she rushed me and stabbed me in the side. My dress tore and a large gap displayed the vicious scars the dog attack had left behind. The Jackal began to giggle stupidly to himself while I started to see red. The satisfied smirk Dana held on her face didn't last very long.

"Once again, one of you Black Zodiacs goes _too fucking far._" I spat, mending my dress with the brush of a hand. The water surrounding me began to ripple and turn dark like the ocean at night and I was rapidly losing my composure. She was about to retort to my comment, but I didn't give her enough time to, as I flickered out of existence for a short moment(I had been practicing this move ever since I saw a certain psychopath do it), before reappearing directly in front of her. Letting a small smile slip over my lips at seeing her shocked expression, I felt a whisper of a laugh escape my throat, before rounding on her.

I'd prefer not to describe what occurred while Dana was at my disposal, but I will say two things: One, our audience drew back from the sight of her. Two: she would never be able to open her mouth to insult me, ever again.

I stood there, shaking with my breath heaving from the aggression I had just exerted, and the others got the hint to leave.

Unfortunately, I had very little time to recover, as I felt the tip of a cane poke me in the center of my back only a few minutes later. I allowed a sarcastic smile to spread across my lips as I was prodded away from the door.

"Good to see you too, brother. Red really is your color." I remarked, taking in the red stain that went halfway down his white button down shirt and wishing I could make actual blood take its place.

"By the way, I see that potion of yours only half worked." It was true; the tell-tale signs of death were stuck to him like glue. I took particular notice of the unexplained draft that caused his tie and the hair remaining on his head to flutter without assistance.

"Iris." He retorted, still pointing his cane at me as the doors behind him slid open. He didn't say anything else on the subject, but I knew he was equally as disappointed as I was that it had only half worked.

_It shouldn't have worked at all. _I mused dourly. Stone was cowering behind me, so when the cane cracked against my skull, nothing much was done to try to prevent it. I fell onto my side and continued to remain silent as I was repeatedly kicked and hit with the cane, all the while ignoring the hushed tirade he had launched.

"If you don't stay out of my way-blah, blah, blah-dire consequences-blah." I giggled slightly as his enraged expression and rolled onto my back to avoid another cane jab.

"You have a funny face." I noted airily, rolling over again and lunging at his leg to bite his shin. I heard a thump before it occurred to me that I couldn't move. I was still conscience, however, and heard the other woman in the control room screaming, the noise proceeded by another thump, and then the tape of spells playing throughout the house. I stared up at the ceiling, my blank face wanting to scowl when Cyrus and Kalina came into my line of vision.

"What did you do to her?" Kalina asked, obviously unaware of the fact that even ghosts can be debilitated, even for a short while.

"I forced her into a state of reverie. Now, go fetch the book." After a flurry of footsteps rushing around me, a series of feminine screams rang out, much to my grim satisfaction.

_Of course; just throw another life away, after you've finished using the person. _I seethed, slowly regaining my facial movements as my head cleared. I laughed. I laughed so hard that the rest of my form became functional much faster than I had expected. My attention instantly turned towards the unconscious woman lying on the floor. I didn't trust my legs, so I quickly crawled towards her, relieved that I was immune to the spell sounding from the tape recorder. I tentatively shook her once, then harder a second time, growling in annoyance when she merely mumbled incoherently. I eventually used what little water I had left to splash her in the face. I slipped out of the room before her eyes were open.

"Stone," I said, "stay here and keep an eye on her. Make sure she stops the tapes." It rolled in what I knew to be a nod and I petted it goodbye, before moving down the hall, my ultimate destination being the nearest staircase.

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**Sorry for the day late update-again. I have a habit of getting stomach viruses at the most inconvenient times. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, though.**

**Thanks,**

**Jess**


	11. Liberation

It was a few good minutes before I finally reached a staircase. I also bumped into a familiar living face; our encounter didn't go too well, though. I was relatively tolerant, so I didn't take offence, but the dark haired man who was showing traces of balding did. I held my arms out to protect myself as I stared at him with wide eyes.

"I won't hurt you; I'm trying to get out of here, myself." I informed him, taking a step back to show my utter lack of hostile intentions. He seemed astounded to hear me speak, but I was more vocal than the others, so I wasn't surprised.

"Who are you?" He asked suspiciously, wanting to get past me and up the stairs as he bounced on his heels. I distractedly noticed that the back of his shirt was shredded and stained with blood-surely the Jackal's handy work. I moved out of the way and ascended the stairs alongside him as I spoke.

"My name is Iris; I was Cyrus' older sister, before he pushed me off a cliff." I elaborated, catching him by the arm as he almost fell backwards from my words.

"Iris? They said you jumped off on your own. I'm Cyrus' nephew."

"Ah, yes, Arnold; he spoke of you, once. You're Bobby and the other girl's father." We rounded a few corners of the halls, running now as we were able to see the circle formation of the Black Zodiac members. Inside the sphere of rotating blades, the two kids were seated and staring fearfully around them. We reached the hall with the arch allowing access to the middle room and I glared demurely at my brother.

"First me, then our nephew? You are one twisted bastard." While we were talking, I had figured it out; Arthur was the thirteenth ghost: The Broken Heart. And Bobby had called the other ghost "Mom," which meant…

"The Withered Lover is his wife! You're not human! You're a cockroach!" I was screaming the words, outraged and livid and every other word that would come close to describing it. As I did, Arthur removed his glasses, eyes wide from what he saw, and charged Cyrus. I let them go at each other as a dizzy spell came over me. However, a smile came to my face as the spells sounding out began to be rewound and fast forwarded before finally stopping. Cyrus, who had Arthur pinned to the ground with the knife he'd had hidden in his cane, looked up in horror as I began to manically shriek with laughter. The ghosts were all free and he had nowhere to go. I rushed forward to take him by the collar and drag his struggling form to the main room. My laughter now simmering down to a content smile, I threw him onto the floor and silently watched as the others circled him. Just before they closed in, I caught his eye and waved mockingly.

"Karma's a real bitch, isn't it, brother?" I asked, a scornful hiss in my voice. He started screaming, as if he suddenly realized what was happening, and I watched as he was thrown into the chopping blades of the Occulus Infernum; the machine that was the reason all of us were there. His body was instantly chopped up into several large pieces and his head flew at me. I caught it without thinking and peered down at the still blinking eyes as droplets of blood trickled out of the hole that his neck once connected to. My hands began to shake; I'd done it. I had caused the death of my brother.

_Am I just like him, then? Will my soul not be saved, now? _I wondered, feeling a lightness in my chest as movement came easier to me. Slowly, I turned and looked over at Arthur, nodding to him before making my way down a few halls and waiting by an outer wall. Then, as sure as rain, a sonic boom erupted through the house and shattered every wall to fragments. I didn't feel a thing, but the severed head I held now had shards of glass wedged into its eye sockets. I hesitated, a subconscious part of my mind thinking that there might have been an invisible barrier still in place, before leaping onto the ground.

A thrill instantly shot through me as nature, in all its abundance, greeted me back from a world of wires and steel.

I didn't pause for a moment as I started to run, full speed, and outright screaming my liberation, towards the forest. Something tripped me up and I giggled as Stone tackled me.

"You're lucky I like you so much, you little punk." I smiled, kicking it into the tree canopy and darting under a tree to catch it with my free hand. I dropped it before sticking my tongue out and literally darting through the trees. When I passed through a large oak, I bumped into another large mass, smiling up at the Juggernaut.

"Horace!" I exclaimed, reflexively raising my arms for a victory hug and becoming pleasantly surprised when he picked me up and situated my comparatively slight figure against his chest.

_Hooray for making new friends! _I inwardly cheered, grateful to be able to rest for a bit while Horace did all the walking. I felt a little guilty about getting blood on him-my condition was a little more serious than I had initially thought it to be-but I soon remembered that I was dead and that the blood would fade away with time. Looking around myself, I saw that the others were fanning out in different directions; Dana was clearly leering at me as she limped in the opposite direction. We were headed north-the direction I was planning on going-and very few others were doing the same. It didn't surprise me at all when I spotted Royce, but when I saw the Jackal not far off to the right, I admit to becoming very confused and wary.

_Isn't he finished with torturing me? _I thought miserably, hiding my face in my unusually large transport's shoulder and feeling the loss of energy from having ran around for such an extended period of time. I closed my eyes, their weight being that of two lead weights, before setting into a state of reverie.

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**Holy crap, you guys, this is the second to last chapter! My goal was to finish this, before the end of the school year, which is in two weeks. Huzzah! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**'Til then,**

**Jess**


	12. Intrepidity

After a long and needed rest-maybe one, two hours later-I opened my eyes and looked groggily up at Horace. The giant had been staring straight ahead, as if waiting for something, but then looked down at me with a questioning expression on his face. I then noticed an irritated voice calling from behind and I turned to peer over Horace's shoulder.

The Jackal and Royce were at it again, scuffling like two badly mannered wolves. From the fragments of conversation I could pick up, I knew that they were fighting over which way to go, which further confused me.

_We're traveling together now? _I mused, turning back around to look at the path that branched out into three different directions. I silently calculated to myself; if we were two hours north from Willow Grove, then the cliff was about another two hours away.

"Let's go down the middle path, Horace." I instructed, smiling as the bickering coming from behind us was settled into a low muttering. I let him continue to carry me without protest-he'd put me down when he wanted to. Horace didn't seem as if he was about to do so, anytime soon, so I made myself comfortable and enjoyed the ride.

At about nine in the morning-as I could tell by the sun's positioning, at least-Royce finally got up the nerve to walk alongside Horace. I really couldn't blame him-after all, the giant's nickname was the Breaker.

"Why is he still following us?" I questioned, not whispering yet keeping a conversational tone of voice. Royce gave me a look, brow raised, and shrugged.

"No idea; he's a nut job, so as long as he's not buggin' anyone, I guess he's fine where he is." I nodded, patting Horace's shoulder as he tensed. I didn't give my counterpart the satisfaction of looking back at him. I had a feeling that he knew he would be jumped on the moment he made an advance on me.

"I guess." I confirmed, not feeling very extraverted yet still trying to be social. I was about to sink into another bout of exhausting pondering when Royce broke my concentration.

"What's eating you?" He asked, looking up at me from my elevated position. I realized that I had a firm grip on Cyrus' head and stopped, sighing, before rebounding with a gentle smile.

"I'm just thinking over a few things, that's all…Do you wonder if there's anything after-" I gestured to myself, Horace, and him for emphasis- "this? I'm personally hoping for reincarnation, but…anything would be good, I think." He looked at me, wary and suspicious, before cold realization hit him.

"Why all this talk about moving on, Doll? You planning on leavin' anytime soon?" I nodded. expecting some sort of whiplash and bracing myself for it.

I got some.

Royce looked as if I had just slapped him and Horace seemed to be processing my words angrily. Even the Jackal-who I knew had been eavesdropping-snarled in discontent.

"I'm already starting to fade; I'm guessing that I'll be gone by noon." They all stared at me, mouths agape, before it hit me.

"WHAT?" Wham, right in my face like a blow of a fist. All three of them did it, too, so the ground practically rumbled with their protest.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" The Jackal finally burst out, eyes blazing brighter than the flames of Hell. I didn't react to him; I was beyond fear, at that point. In fact, I began to feel nothing but serenity, at that very moment.

"I've accomplished all that I wanted to. I've avenged my death and my brother's dead," I said, lifting the head for emphasis. "There's nothing else for me here." Horace's grip suddenly tightened on me and I felt myself wince. I smiled through my discomfort and patted him hand comfortingly.

"Don't worry, big guy, I'll send you a postcard." I joked, frowning disconcertedly when no one even cracked a smile. Sighing, I wriggled out of Horace's grip, my own grip on Cyrus' head rigid, before advancing forward on my trembling legs.

"If you guys are going to be a bunch of party-poopers in my final hours, then I'm flying solo, from here." My statement seemed to snap them out of their pouting fits. I heard the swishing of air as I was followed. My legs continued to shake, but I was determined to go the rest of the way without any help; I quietly growled when any one of them tried to approach me.

"Iris-"

"No!" I snapped, coughing up blood a moment later, before straightening up and continuing my struggle. I demurely examined myself as I limped on, slowly absorbing the torn muscle that nearly exposed my still heart. Blood continued to flow down my reddened dress like a steadily flowing stream; hindering me yet not able to kill me. I couldn't really find an area where my skin hadn't been cut open, actually. I was leaving a heavy trail of slowly disappearing blood in my wake.

Just as I was about to stop for a break, a glimmer of light appeared in the distance, alerting me to where we were. Gripping Cyrus' head in my hands, I took off in a sprint, stumbling a few times, but never stopping. When I got to a break in the trees, I finally slowed my pace, suddenly having to gasp for air to be comfortable. I jogged through the abandon parking lot, over the grassy hills, and finally onto the cliff. I raised the head in my hands to eye level, smiling miserably as I spotted the flicker of activity in its eyes, before screaming and sending it plummeting over the edge of the cliff. I didn't bother to look down at Cyrus' spirit as he cursed me from below. I completely stilled for a moment, my eyes wide, before laughter erupted from me in the form of nothing but mirth.

I couldn't help it; I ran in circles, I did cartwheels in the grass, and I fell on my butt and laughed even harder. I spotted Royce, Horace, and the Jackal and lunged at the three of them for a group hug, squeezing them so hard that it hurt. My energy then quickly depleted and I sat myself on the edge of the cliff, swinging my legs contently as I waited for the end of my second life. I didn't want to bring any baggage with me, wherever I was going, so when the trio of my quartet sandwhiched me on three sides, I didn't object. I leaned against Horace's shoulder while the Jackal spitefully tugged on strands of my hair and Royce stared at me as if I had betrayed him.

"Well, you certainly aren't a very lively lot, are you?" I prodded, too tired to smile at my own bad sense of humor. "It's fine; I'm tired, anyway. Don't give me that look. If you were really mad at me, you wouldn't be here." I pointed out, continuing to lazily kick my legs in time to a random beat in my head. Stone whined pitifully from its position in my lap and I petted it comfortingly.

"Where do you think you're gonna' end up, Doll?" Royce asked, obviously plotting something, even if the question sounded casual.

"I've always liked the beach-and the woods-and the mountains-hm, maybe the Great Plains. Somewhere warm, I guess, but not tropical. It's all up to fait to decide." Something warm- the place where my heart was supposed to be, I guessed-burst and began to radiate heath throughout my form. I gasped, then sighed contently to myself at the comfortable feeling.

"Iris? Not yet! Iris?" I placed my finger to his lips, leaving it there to simply have it there.

"Shh, listen." I instructed, my face brightening at the sound as the wind blew. I listened to the tinkling of wind chimes. The warmth was increasing and my vision filled with a gently glowing light. I looked over to Royce, who looked severely down in the dumps, my smile wavering.

"Don't be upset; We might meet again, some day. Will you look for me?" I wondered, not really expecting an answer, but getting one anyway.

"Yes." The intensity of his reply shocked me out of my state of calm. I stared into his eyes; something inside him was _burning_. I let him take my slowly dissolving hand in his and lead me to the very tip of the cliff. I didn't make any complaints when he aggrevatedly shook me.

"Why do you have to be so selfish?" He asked, still looking at me with a livid look in his eyes. My expression slowly sobered up as I matched his pained expression with a regretful one. Now that the others were far away enough, I could let my walls crumble a little, and let them crumble I did.

"I'm sorry," I sighed, letting tears spill down my cheeks as I stared straight ahead-at the letterman jacket he was known for. "You're right; I am selfish. Needing to have revenge was tainting my soul, though. By the time Cyrus had died, I could feel how little of my soul remained…Royce, I would never be able to fully recover from what's happened to me. I would never be able to fully feel anything again."

"So you're just gonna' give up!" He finally erupted, his breathing heavy as he waited for me to throw just as much emotion back at him. Instead, I shook my head and placed my hands on top of his, which were resting on my shoulders.

"Not giving up; just starting over. I'm not strong like you, Royce. Compared to me, you're like freaking Super Man." More tears trickled down my cheeks and I began to sniffle as he rested his lips on my forehead, inhaling slowly as he tried to calm himself down. I wrapped my arms around his torso and buried myself into his chest. After an awkward moment of Royce tensely holding me, he managed to get over his anger, and pulled me securely into himself.

"I will find you again, Iris." He stated confidently, not letting me move, even to look up at the peaking sun. "I will." His hold on me was neither too light nor too strong and I was desperately trying to suppress a bout of crying that was rising in my throat.

_He's such a jerk! Holding me, and being so warm, and being…a jerk._ My turmoil bounded itself into a content grin as I held him tighter.

"I know." Now, the tears I shed turned into those of happiness. _I'm feeling way too many emotions._ I felt myself become more and more translucent as the sun inched higher and higher into the sky.

"You should let go, now, Royce." I suggested, the temperature in me no longer rising, but instead spreading through me for a final sweep.

"No." Came his blunt reply, which didn't surprise me, but I became a little worried when all the previous happiness left his voice.

"Royce-"

"Iris!" He growled, about to throw another temper tantrum. Huffing quietly, I stood there for another moment, before pulling back and crashing my lips into his.

It was the most intense kiss I had ever experienced-full of desperation, passion, and heat. I could feel myself melting into him. It-figuratively-took my breath away.

The world was getting brighter and brighter and I stubbornly held onto the earth for my final moments. Royce's grip had relaxed significantly and I eased myself out of the embrace while also keeping ahold of his hands.

_To think that the last time I kiss him is because I need to distract him. _I thought to myself, looking down at my arms in wonder as they became completely translucent. I looked around and all I could see was his face. He was trying his damndest to smile for me. I felt myself smile as a single tear slid down my cheek.

"Whoever I become might not remember you, but I will. I'll be waiting, you dumb ex-jock." He nodded, not able to will himself to speak; he was so apparently welled up with a variety of violent emotions that he would have exploded and said something negative, anyway. I happened to love his temper tantrums.

My vision was gone, then, and in a few moments, I was gone.

* * *

_That same night, just as the sun was setting, a cry burst out through the air. A baby girl with bizarrely vivid green eyes and small tufts of blonde hair was shakily held by her mother, the latter's face astonished by the appearance of her newly born child. The little one stared at her mother; eyes already open to greet the world, before she began to wail. The woman holding her new daughter smiled up at the man standing beside her, thinking it the typical cry of a newborn, when all reality it wasn't. It was a waning cry of mourning, which was slowly draining from the mind of the tiny babe. Before long, she would forget, and not a second thought of her soul's previous life would pass through her mind. _

* * *

**That's it, you guys! Did you hate the ending? Did you like it? Are you confused/angry/content? Should I make a sequel? Feedback is the most important element here, ya' know! Thank you all for sticking with me and continuing to read this story as I continued to write it.**

**Respectfully,**

**Jess**


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